Unforeseen Events
by Golden Immortality
Summary: 1-800-where-r-u/mediator crossover. Jess/Rob and JS. read and review.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Commissioner, somebody just climbed out. Behind the sign," a police officer told the police commissioner, handing them their binoculars. They watched as someone climbed out and appeared behind the sign of the hotel.

"One of the hostages?" the commissioner questioned, looking through the binoculars.

"They're all in black wearing a mask," another officer added looking through their own pair of binoculars.

"It's one of the perps," the commissioner said. He put down the binoculars and pulled out his gun, pointing it at the person. The other officers followed suit.

"I don't see a weapon, commissioner," the first officer replied.

"Be ready to shoot if he pulls a gun or makes a threatening move," the commissioner ordered. They all stared at the person, waiting for their next move.

---

"Ladies and gentlemen," the terrifying man addressed the people looking at him in fear, "It's been emotional." He held the detonator up in his hand.

---

The person jumped down from the ledge of the hotel, and landed on a police car. All of the police officers were poised to shoot. The person climbed off the car and pulled off their mask. "It's lightning girl, Jessica Mastriani! Hold your fire, hold your fire!" the commissioner yelled.

"The lobby's wired to explode! Get everyone out!" Jess shouted and ran up to the police. "You got to get everyone out now," she insisted.

---

Before the man was able to push the button on the detonator, a masked person ran up to him and punched him. The detonator fell to the floor, and the man and his attacker began to fight. Everybody looked on, terrified.

---

"Hit them with the tear gas. Go on my command," the commissioner ordered, trying to hold Jess at bay. Jesse moved forward, his hands in his pockets and looked worriedly at the lobby.

---

The tear gas shot through the glass doors, setting off the alarm. "Push the button now!" the man screamed at one of his men, still fighting with his attacker. The gas was quickly filling up the room.

---

"They're going to know we're coming," a police officer said as he put on his gas mask, getting ready to go in.

"At least they won't be able to see us," another one replied, also getting ready.

Jess stared at the lobby, wanting to do something since she couldn't take just standing here. Jesse leaned forward on the police car, worry written clearly all over his face. Screams and gunfire came from inside the lobby. "Do something!" he yelled at the commissioner.

"We got to get them out of there!" the first police officer said.

"Go. Go!" the commissioner shouted to his men. The SWAT team moved toward the lobby, gas masks on and guns poised. Everybody else looked on.

---

The tear gas filled the entire room that none of the hostages knew which way to run for the exit. The ring leader was still struggling in the fight. Most hostages just clung to each other, too afraid to even move. The SWAT team made their way in, but nobody could pick them out.

Douglas picked his unconscious wife up off the couch, and ran to where he pictured the doors would be. Suze looked around the room for a familiar face. CeeCee...Paul, anybody. She couldn't see anybody, just shadows.

---

Jesse ran around the police car, closer to the hotel, with Jess on his heels. He looked for his _querida_ to come out. Jess couldn't take it anymore, she ran for the lobby. A police officer grabbed her before she made it that far.

"No. No!" Jess screamed, struggling to get out of the officer's grip.

Jesse searched desperately for Susannah. "Come on, _querida_," he whispered.

"Rob!" Jess screamed. Suddenly, the lobby exploded. A white light engulfed everything, and both Jess and Jesse were pitched backward onto the asphalt.

---

Suspenseful? What to know what happened or will happen? Review and find out.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N:** I want thank everybody again for the reviews. Now, I'm really happy right now, because I got my report card for the second marking period, and all good grades!!!! I'm so happy! So in honor of that, here's the next chapter. Keep the reviews coming.

Enjoy.

----------------------------

**Chapter****One**

Jessica Mastriani-Wilkins carried the bag upstairs and into the bathroom. She dumped the content of the bag onto the sink counter. Jess took a deep breath, preparing herself. Picking the box up in her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a little longer, just brushing the top of her shoulders. She breathed another sigh. She and Rob have only been married for a year, so she wasn't sure if they were ready for this. If there was anything to be ready for. That's why she's here.

Jess ripped open the box, pulling everything out. She read through the instructions quickly, then folded them back up and placed them to the side. Jess picked up the small instrument. "Simple enough," she said to herself.

A minute or so later, Jess was waiting for the results. The instrument was sitting on the counter, taunting her. She leaned up against the sink, feeling nervous. The last time she felt this nervous she was one minute away from walking down the aisle. She touched her hand to her stomach, but immediately pulled it away when the phone rang.

She looked at her watch, only five minutes left. She sighed, and went to go answer the phone, which was on its third ring. "Hello?" Jess said into the phone.

"Jessica?"

"Dr. Krantz? Is that you?" Jess questioned growing curious as to why Dr. Cyrus Krantz would be calling her. "What's going on?"

"I can't say much now. We just need your help," Dr Krantz explained.

"Help how?" Jess wanted to know. She looked at her watch again. Three more minutes.

"Like I said, I can't say much over the phone. I just need you to you to come to Carmel, California immediately. I will tell you everything then, but you just have to get here," he told her. He sounded desperate.

Jess was silent for a moment.

"Jessica?"

"Okay, I'll come," Jess agreed. Dr Krantz thanked her and hung up. She slowly put the phone back on the receiver, wondering if she should have maybe talked to Rob about this first. _There wasn't enough time,_ Jess told herself, _Dr Krantz wanted an answer now._ She left the room, and made her way downstairs to tell Rob that she was going to California.

Meanwhile, the ten minutes were up. A plus sign appeared in the little window of the pregnancy stick.

---

Rob was busy working on a motorcycle when Jess came into the barn. He heard the squeak of the barn door, but continued tightening a bolt on the front tire.

"How's it looking?" Jess asked him about the motorcycle.

Rob straightened up. "Pretty good," he answered picking up his tools and laying them down on the tool bench. Rob put his hands on his hips, and looked at her. "Something tells me that's not what you wanted to talk about."

"Well, you got me," Jess admitted throwing her arms up in the air. She took a few steps closer to him, deciding to just say it. "Dr Krantz just called."

Rob's eyebrows flew up in curiosity.

Jess continued. "He wants me to fly out to California immediately. He needs my help, but he wouldn't tell me with what on the phone."

"Are you going to go?" Rob questioned wiping his hands on a rag.

"I guess so, he sounded desperate," Jess said crossing her arms.

Rob tossed the rag down, and moved closer to her. "Then, I'm coming with you," Rob replied. He reached out and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer. He leaned down to kiss her. Before he reached her, though, Jess pulled her head back.

"What do you mean you're coming?" Jess asked.

"Just what I said," Rob explained keeping his hands on her hips, "I'm not staying here while you're off in California saving the world."

"You want to go to California?!" Jess laughed.

"No,...but I want to be with you," Rob finished, pulling her flush up against him.

"I think Dr Krantz wanted me to come alone," she told him, not being able to hide the smile on her face.

"Well, he won't mind if just one more person came," Rob said. He smiled that gorgeous smile of his, and leaned down to capture her lips in a passionate kiss.

---

A little while later, Rob walked into the bathroom to clean himself up. He stopped when he saw the mess spread out on the sink. His eyes zeroed in on the box labeled 'pregnancy test.' He walked forward and picked up the box, knocking the little device to the floor. Rob looked down when he heard the clatter on the floor.

He was surprised. He bent down and picked it up, looking at it. His features went from surprised to shock. _Jess was pregnant?!_

"Okay, Mrs Jenkins, you're doing very well on this protocol. Keep going like this and you won't have to have surgery," Dr. Jesse de Silva told his brain tumor patient. He wrote some notes down in the chart before closing it.

"Thank you, doctor," Mrs Jenkins smiled genuinely at him.

Jesse smiled back, nodded, and excused himself from the room. He was just pulling the door closed behind him when his friend and colleague, Dr. Brendan Shultz, came down the hall toward him. "Hey, just the man I was looking for," Brendan replied.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jesse questioned.

"It's all set up for you, man," Brendan explained, putting his arms out in emphasis.

"Really?" Jesse asked, a smile coming across his face and his dark eyes lighting up.

"Yep," Brendan told him, "Sterling Star Hotel, 5:00p.m."

"Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me," Jesse said

Brendan patted him on the back, "Good luck, Jesse." Jesse smiled nervously at his friend, then they parted ways. Jesse checked his watch. It was almost his break, he had decided to call Susannah then and ask her to dinner tomorrow night. He was planning something special. He walked to the nurses' station, and told the nurse there that he was taking his break. Jesse walked back to the locker room to get his phone.

---

Suze sat on the couch in Adam and CeeCee's living room, helping CeeCee pick out paint colors for the nursery. CeeCee was six months pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. The paint colors were spread out on the coffee table. Both CeeCee and Adam had their own choice of a color, Adam wanted blue and CeeCee wanted pink or yellow. It was kind of funny watching them argue over paint colors.

"What about this one?" Suze suggested picking a color sample up from the table and showing her.

"Nah," Adam spoke up from behind CeeCee. She was leaning into him, his hand rubbing circles on her belly. CeeCee scrunched her face up at it and shook her head.

"Okay," Suze said tossing the sample back. "I've suggested just about every color here, and you've both rejected all of them." She pulled her leg under herself on the couch, so she look at them both.

CeeCee sat up straight, with help from Adam. "I'm sorry, Suze. I just think pink or yellow will be good color," CeeCee apologized. She turned to Adam, "Can you get me another water?" She placed the empty bottle on the table.

"Sure," Adam stood up from the couch and went into the kitchen.

With Adam gone, the girls were able to talk about other things. CeeCee started. "So, how's Jesse?" She smiled at her friend mischievously, and pulled both her legs under her as best as she could.

"Good," Suze laughed but then got serious as she pushed her bangs out of her eyes, "But he's been acting a little weird around me lately. I don't know what's wrong." She played with the fabric of the couch, glancing up at her friend before looking back down.

"Well, have you talked to him about it?" CeeCee asked, her violet eyes boring into Suze's emerald ones.

"No, but I haven't—" Suze was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. She took it out and looked at the number, smiling unconsciously when she recognized the number.

"Go ahead, answer it," CeeCee told her, smiling. She knew who it was without Suze having to tell her. It was written all over her face. "I have to pee anyway." CeeCee got awkwardly off the couch and went to the bathroom.

Suze flipped her phone open and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello, Susannah," Jesse's husky voice sounded in her ear.

"Hi, what's up," her smile grew even wider, if that's even possible.

"I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me?" Jesse questioned. He sounded nervous. "At the Sterling Star Hotel, 5:00pm."

"Wow," Suze exclaimed, "Of course I'll have dinner with you."

"Great," he sounded relieved and she could tell he was smiling, "It's going to be special, but don't worry about getting something to wear. I already sent something to your house. All you have to do is meet me in the lobby."

"Okay, can't wait," Suze replied.

"Me neither. Te amo, querida. Goodbye," Jesse whispered.

"I love you, too. Bye."

---

Jesse hung up the phone, a smile still pasted on his face. He couldn't wait until tonight! Little did he know, there was someone listening to his phone conversation with Susannah from around the corner. A person he wouldn't want listening to his private conversation with the love of his life.

Paul. He leaned up against the wall, a curious look on his face. Then, his face changed, and he walked away with a determined stride.

**Thirteen****hours****later****4p.m.**

"Okay, the Sterling Star Hotel is the closest one, we should go there and check in," Tasha Mastriani said looking at a map as the group got their bags from the baggage claim. It was supposed to be just Jess and Rob here, but she had no choice but to invite them. After she told her best friend, Ruth Abramowitz, she had begged to come too. Jess didn't feel like arguing so she gave in, which also meant that she would bring her boyfriend and Jess's brother, Mike, too. Then, when she had told her parents, word had gotten to her other brother, Douglas, and his wife, Tasha, who obviously wanted to come too.

The group walked out of the airport, and got a rental car. Before they got in, Rob pulled Jess aside. "I'm going to go do something. I'll meet you there okay," Rob told her.

"Why? What could you possibly have to do in California right now?" Jess questioned.

"Just trust me, alright," Rob gave her a reassuring smile, and then leaned down and gave a passionate goodbye kiss. He then left to get his own rental car.

---

"Jesse, where are you?" Suze asked as she stood in the lobby of the Sterling Star Hotel.

"I'm sorry, querida. I'm a little held up here, but stay there. I'll try to get away as soon as I can," Jesse apologized.

"It's okay, I understand," Suze told him. They hung up, and Suze gave a light sigh as she closed her phone. She headed over to the couches to sit. Just as she sat down, she heard somebody run in shouting her name. Suze turned her head, and saw Adam running toward her, pulling CeeCee behind him. They were both dressed up. (**A/N: **go to my profile if you want to see Suze's and CeeCee's dresses) "What's wrong?"

They reached her, Adam a little out of breath. "Suze, you have to listen to me. Paul—" At that moment, Paul came into the hotel and headed straight for Suze.

The elevator dinged. Jess, Ruth, Mike, Tasha, and Douglas stepped off after checking in and taking their things to their rooms. They had decided to get dinner before Jess had to get to work helping Dr Krantz. She had called Rob to tell him, and he said he would meet them at the hotel restaurant.

Jess saw Dr Krantz in the lobby. He looked relieved when he saw her. She told the others to wait, and she walked up to him. "Is everything okay?"

Suddenly, the lobby doors burst open, and men in black coveralls and ski masks carrying machine guns flooded the doorway. The man in front had a handgun pointed at the ceiling and was firing it. Everybody stared at the men, flinching at the sound of the gun.

"Everybody stay where you are! This a robbery! Cooperate and it will all be over in five minutes!"

How was it? Review if you want to know what happens next.


	3. Twelve hours earlier

**A/N:** Again, thanks to everybody who reviewed. Please, everybody review, even if it's just a 'update soon', I don't mind. I just want to get more reviews. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Enjoy.

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**Chapter****Two**

**Twelve hours earlier, 5pm**

Suddenly, the lobby doors burst open, and men in black coveralls and ski masks carrying machine guns flooded the doorway. The man in front had a handgun pointed at the ceiling and was firing it. Everybody stared at the men, flinching at the sound of the gun.

"Everybody stay where you are! This a robbery! Cooperate and it will all be over in five minutes!" The leader then turned to his men, "Now."

The men began walking around the room, their guns poised ready to shoot anyone brave enough to confront them. Adam moved in front of CeeCee protectively while Paul stood slightly in front of Suze. Dr Krantz and Jess watched the men silently, Jess starting to believe that these men had something to do with Dr Krantz needing her help. The Mastriani brothers stood in front of their girls to keep them away from the danger. The leader watched over all of them, his finger poised on the trigger and a slight smile on his face.

The girl at the front desk had a frightened look on her face as she began to slowly move her hand under the desk to the silent alarm button. Her hazel eyes glanced around the room, trying to hide what she was trying to do. Unfortunately, the leader saw her.

He aimed his gun at her, and began moving toward her. "Excuse me, excuse me, but how badly do you want to be employee of the month?" he questioned rhetorically. The girl quickly brought her hands out in the surrender position. The man reached the front desk. "Very prudent," he told her, "I doubt you're being paid enough to risk your own life." Then, he turned to face everybody and addressed the assistant manager, "How do you inspire such loyalty and teamwork from your employees?"

The assistant manager looked straight at the man but addressed his employees. "Everybody on my staff do as you're told. No heroics."

"I appreciate your support," the leader smiled at him. He then took some steps forward as all eyes were focused on him.

"You can take anything you want," the assistant manager told him.

"And I intend to," the man said turning back around, "Starting with cell phones, PDAs, and pagers, please." After the words left his mouth, the other men went to work. Some started to spray painting over the doors and windows with black paint, and others went around to collect everything. Still, everybody watched with curiosity and fear.

Slowly, CeeCee took the cell phone from Adam's hand. She kept her eyes on the men as she slowly, casually began to dial 911. With shaking hands, she messed on the numbers and had to start again. CeeCee looked down to make sure she got it right. Suddenly, one of the men grabbed Adam out of the way, saying, "No phone calls." He went after CeeCee, trying to get the phone from her.

"Stop, let her go," Suze said trying to get the man to stop before he hurt CeeCee or the babies. The man seized the phone out of her hand, and stalked away. Adam went back to CeeCee to make sure she was okay. The leader just stood there watching.

Then, he went to Dr Krantz, putting his gun in its' holder. "Excuse me," he turned Dr Krantz around and started searching for something, "Oooh, what have we here?" He pulled out a gun, "Lovely." He began walking away with a determined stride, handing the gun off to one of his men, "Dispose of this, please. Thank you."

"Does he have to do with why you called me here?" Jess leaned over and whispered to Dr Krantz.

"It's quite possible. I'd have to see his face," Dr Krantz whispered back. He looked around the room. Jess saw his face.

"What? What are you thinking?" she asked.

He licked his lips. "This is not a robbery," he simply said and turned to face her, "These guys are after something." Jess stared at him.

The woman in the group went around with a small black bag. She walked up to the girl at the front desk. The girl put in her belongings, except for her heart-shaped pendant necklace. The woman didn't leave.

"What?" the girl asked, frightened. The woman motioned to the necklace. The girl's hand went to it, "No, c'mon, it was my mother's." The woman didn't have time to waste, she ripped the necklace off from around the girl's neck.

CeeCee saw this. She didn't want them to take her wedding rings, but she didn't want them to try to take them and wind up hurting her. She slowly and discreetly slipped her rings off her finger, and put them in the top of her dress.

Another man had a bag to collect things in. He walked up to Jess. She dropped her stuff in, then crossed her arms, leaving her wedding ring on.

"And the ring," he instructed her.

"No," Jess said, looking the man in the eye. At hearing this, the leader turned around, and walked toward her.

"Do it, Jessica," Dr Krantz told her.

Jess looked at him. "Rob gave me that ring, and I'm going to wear it–"

"Give him the ring!" his voice got a little louder.

"No," she turned back to the man, "No."

"Give him the ring!"

"Is there a problem?" the leader questioned, right next to Jess.

"Yes," Jess said, glancing at him, "You can have my credit cards, my money, anything you want in this hotel, but you're not getting my ring."

The leader scoffed. "You see if I allow you to keep the ring, what about the other people. It wouldn't be fair, would it?"

"You have to understand, this is my wedding ring," Jess insisted.

He smiled, "I'm afraid I must insist."

Jess stared at him hard. "Fine," she gave in, taking the ring off and tossing it into the bag. They walked away.

"Five," the leader called to one of his men. He waited for him to get to him. "You and three go clean out the vault. Take a hostage with you." Five nodded and went to get three. Three put his arms around CeeCee before anyone could react and started pulling her away.

"No, wait, what are you doing?" CeeCee cried, "I'm sorry about the phone thing, I'm sorry, please don't kill me! No, no!" Adam tried to go after her, but the other men stopped him.

---

Three held on to CeeCee as Five pulled open the vault door. Three pulled CeeCee over to the door and pushed her in. She managed to catch herself before she fell. Five and Three came in and began throwing things off the shelves, looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" CeeCee asked. They ignored her and kept looking. CeeCee glanced at the door, wondering how far she could get before they caught her.

---

That was it. Adam couldn't just stand there while two men took CeeCee to who knows where. He ran up to the leader. "Take what you want, bring my wife back, and get the hell out of here Mr One or whoever the hell you are!" Adam took hold of the mask and tried to pull it off. The leader didn't flinch. He just placed his gun under Adam's chin, halting Adam's movements.

"Adam, let go," Suze told him, "Doing this is not going to help CeeCee."

Adam hesitated for a minute, in which everybody held their breath, then he dropped his hold on the mask. "Very wise," the leader said bringing his gun down. Adam didn't move, he continued staring at him with a death glare.

"What do you think would have happened if you were to pull his mask off?" Paul threw at him.

The leader stared back at Adam. "He was counting on the fact that I wouldn't kill any of you, which is a very dangerous assumption."

During this, Dr Krantz took the opportunity to move over to the assistant manager, who was now sitting on the floor. Cyrus knelt down next to him. "Was anything placed in the vault that could be suspicious?" he whispered.

"He's going to shoot," the assistant manager said a little shakily.

"Answer the question."

"There was a briefcase. Silver...with a high tech lock and...a flashing security light," the assistant manager explained. Cyrus nodded and stood back up. At that time, he saw the girl at the front desk going for the silent alarm button again. He made a slashing motion across his neck to get her stop. The leader saw this.

The leader turned around and the girl whipped her arms up in the air again. It was too late. "What did you just do?" he asked her, leaning toward her.

---

They found what they were looking for. Three pulled out the silver briefcase just as they heard the alarm. The door starting closing on them. All three of them ran for the door and tried to get through. Five pushed CeeCee out of his way, not knowing that he pushed her into Three and the briefcase causing them to fall to the floor. Five escaped through the door, and CeeCee stared at the angry face of the other man. She had a terrible feeling in her stomach.

---

Rob arrived at the Sterling Star Hotel, and began walking to the front entrance. He was carrying a box of chocolate for Jess since he guessed that she probably wouldn't like flowers. He wanted to get her something, since he found out that she was pregnant. He looked up, and his blue eyes narrowed curiously. Rob saw that the doors and windows were blackened. He walked up to the doors and looked through a little part of the door that wasn't black. He saw men dressed in black with guns, holding hostages. Jess was one of them.

---

"No, no, no, no!" the girl cried backing up against the wall as a man walked toward her. The leader wasn't interested in her. He turned to Dr Krantz.

"I'm interested to know why you tried to stop her from pushing the silent alarm?"

"We don't need the police. Your guys got into the vault," Cyrus answered, "You'll be fine if you get away now." The leader considered him for a moment. Just then, Five ran back into the lobby.

"Where's the briefcase?" the leader asked.

"In the vault. The door started closing, I thought three was right behind me," Five explained.

"You left the briefcase in the vault?" the leader repeated.

"What about CeeCee?" Adam questioned, worriedly.

"She's in the vault with three," Five answered without looking at him.

"And the briefcase, you idiot!" the leader exclaimed turning around.

"You won't be able to get into the vault for the next twelve hours," the assistant manager spoke up, standing up.

"Thing's just got a lot more complicated for you," Cyrus added, "You still have time to cut your losses, but you're going to have to leave now." The leader kept his back to them.

---

Police cars pulled up to the Sterling Star Hotel, and a bunch of police officers jumped out. They ran around the vehicles to look at the hotel. Rob ran up to them. "Be careful. If they know you're here, someone could get killed," he told them.

---

The leader still had his back to his hostages. Dr Krantz and the assistant manager tried everything they could to get him to leave now. He turned around and considered them again. He took some steps past them, still thinking. When he went to turn back around, a voice came over a bullhorn from outside, stopping him.

"This is the Carmel police. We have the place surrounded."

"Well, it doesn't seem I have a choice now, do I?" he spoke at them, smiling a bit.

---

The man stood there, facing them. Then he pulled out his gun and shot towards the front desk several times. Luckily, the girl was able to duck in time. "Now that I have your attention," he began walking to the front desk, "I can't leave without that briefcase, and the briefcase is locked up in the vault for the next twelve hours. So, there's no point in spending our time together in an unpleasant way. So we're going to play a little game," at the front desk, he dumped out a pencil holder and turned back around, "It's called Get to know you. It's very simple. We walk around the room and ask for your name and a word or two to describe yourself. For example, my name is One, so I would call myself Fun One. It doesn't have to rhyme, but you get extra points if it does and points will become valuable as we get further into the night. If anyone was to, say, drop it, they would become a human shield as we walk out of here." He smiled and handed the canister to the girl at the desk, "Go."

She took it shakily, "Lovely Lena."

"Good. Toss it to somebody else," he instructed. Lena looked around and tossed it to Paul.

"Umm, Passionate Paul."

"Fine, and for he or she who hesitates, I don't have to say it. Toss it." It went to Suze next.

"Kickass Susannah."

"Love it, faster." She handed it to Adam.

"Menacing Adam." Then Jess.

"Lightning girl Jessica." Dr Krantz next.

"Save us Cyrus." He tossed to the assistant manager. He didn't say anything. The leader walked over to him.

"Come on now. Come on," he said, "You had plenty to say about what was in the vault, didn't you?" The manager still didn't say anything. "Come on, it's not that difficult. The kids must have called you something in school." Still nothing. "No?" He pointed the gun at him and looked at the others, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first loser of the night!"

"MARTY...MCFARTY!" the manager yelled. The leader still held his position for a few agonizing seconds.

"Well done, everyone," he congratulated putting his gun down, "Now that we know each other a little better, don't think of yourselves as hostages but think of yourselves as my guests. Sit quietly, behave yourselves, or die. It's that kind of party." Unexpectedly, he fired his gun and it struck Tasha in the stomach. She fell over the arm of the couch, and the people around her went to help her.

"So now you all know that I mean business."

---

How was it? Remember review, please.


	4. Eleven hours earlier

**Chapter Three**

**Eleven hours earlier, 6pm**

The police commissioner approached two officers kneeling behind a police car, guns aimed at the building. He copied their positions, giving them orders while keeping his eyes on the building. "I'm sending you in. Gain access through the rear entry. The priority is to get as many hostages out as possible before the situation escalates."

"You got it, commissioner," one of the officers accepted.

The commissioner looked at them. "Be careful in there." The officer nodded and then got up, making his way to the rear entrance like he was told. The other one followed soon after.

---

Three kneeled next to the briefcase, his gloved hand laying protectively on it. He looked up at CeeCee, who was standing above him. "You don't even know what's in the briefcase, so why did you try to take?"

"Because you wanted it," CeeCee told him, "And so did 'five'. Not that it would matter, when those doors open we're going to be toast." She crossed her arms over her belly as Three put a hand to his head, glancing down at the briefcase.

He picked his head up. "And you're going to be standing right in front of me," his eyes didn't waver from her face.

CeeCee stopped pacing, "Not for long." She was silent for minute until her eyes landing on the flashing light on the briefcase. "Why is the light on the briefcase flashing?"

"Because it's an equinox model," Three sighed, "It's set to self-destruct if anyone tries to open it."

CeeCee stared at him, not quite believing what he said.

---

Douglas put his arms around Tasha, who was lying on the arm of the couch clutching her stomach. He pulled her gently down so that she was laying across the length of the couch. Ruth, who was the closest one to them, helped him. Douglas took off his jacket and pressed it to Tasha's wound. Another man tried to approach them to help, but armed men pointed their guns at him, halting his movements. The leader moved over to him.

"Hello. Still trying to be a hero," the leader said, pointing his gun at the man.

Dr. Krantz spoke up. "You want to shoot somebody?" One turned around to face him. "I'm right here, shoot me." One put his gun up and pointed it at Dr Krantz's chest. He took the safety off, all he had to do was pull the trigger.

One then smiled and moved the gun over. "Ladies first," he pointed the gun at Jess.

---

Three continued staring at the briefcase. CeeCee slid down the wall near him, also staring at the briefcase. "When you say self-destructs, you mean, like, explodes?"

"That would be the general idea," he stared at her.

"Okay...how big of an explosion are you talking about it?" she asked, looking at him.

"It depends on what model. Some equinoxes only destroy the contents, others explode with enough force to take off a hand if you're the one punching in the wrong code. In a space this small, it might be strong enough to kill us."

---

Tasha stared up at the ceiling, taking short, shaky breaths and trying to stay calm and ignore the pain. "She's bleeding and I don't know how to stop it!" Ruth cried as she and Douglas kept the jacket in place on the gunshot wound.

One kept his gun positioned on Jess as he turned to face Ruth.

The man who tried to help before spoke up, "I'm a doctor, please let me help her."

One of the men moved over to him with his gun. "Nobody moves unless we tell you to move! Got that?" One still watched. He nodded to his men, and the man moved, allowing the doctor to help them. He kneeled down next to Douglas.

"This is crazy, standing around doing nothing while my wife is bleeding to death on this _couch_!" Douglas exclaimed.

"Tasha's going to get the help she needs and we're all make it out of this okay," Mike told his brother. One turned around to them.

"Did I say you could talk? Did I? Mmm?" One questioned them. He continued walking over to the couch area until he was within touching distance of everybody around Tasha. "If anybody wants, feel free to stretch your legs," he licked his lips, "Please, nothing challenges me more than a moving target." One stretched out his arm, the one holding the gun, "You care for me to demonstrate?" He swung his arm around the room. He pointed the gun at Lena, the girl at the desk, "Eenie." Then at Mike, "Meenie." He swung it down to Douglas, "Mynie." Then, finally, the barrel of the gun touched Ruth's back, "Moe." Ruth took in a deep, shaky, and frightened breath.

"You made your point!" Dr Krantz replied, "I think I can speak for everyone here, we know you mean business, but knowingly murdering innocent people while you're pulling off a heist ups the stakes." Cyrus took a few steps forward. "You guys get caught, you're going to face the death penalty. All of you, every single one of you." He looked at One, "So, why don't you save your backs and let the medical personnel save the injured woman's life."

One looked at him. He came out from behind the couch area, and walked in front of Cyrus. He let a loud sigh, and, after a long pause, brought up his gun. "Will he?" One pulled the trigger three times.

---

The police heard the gunfire inside the lobby. They snapped into position, their guns aimed at the building. Rob ducked and made his way over to the police commissioner. "When are you going to diffuse this situation?" he questioned, "You just going to wait until they start throwing dead bodies out?"

"Don't give me grief," the commissioner told him, "We're following procedure. You don't like it, too bad." The commissioner then realized that this young man was obviously worried about loved ones inside. He went easy on him. "Cell phone reception is dodging at best, so we're flying blind. But I've got two officers evacuating the building, starting at the restaurant level. There's a safe stairway at the rear of the building."

"So, everything is happening in the lobby?" Rob asked.

"It appears that way," the commissioner answered.

"You have a list of hostages?" Rob asked again.

"No."

"You don't even know if any of them are still alive," Rob replied. The commissioner didn't say anything. "You're in way over your head."

"You better hope you're wrong," the commissioner told him, "Because I'm all you've got."

---

"Well, we can't just wait for this thing to blow up," CeeCee said hugging her knees to her the best that she could, "How much time to you think we have?"

He stared at her.

"You couldn't at least tell me your name?" CeeCee tried again.

"Three."

"That's ridicules," CeeCee replied.

"That's all you need to know," he told her as he continued to stare at her.

"Okay, fine," She stood up and began pacing, "It's nice to meet you. My name is CeeCee McTavish. As you can see, I'm pregnant. Six months with twins, a boy and a girl. We haven't really decided on—"

"Nice try, but save your breath. TV hostage tricks won't work," Three interrupted.

"I don't know what you're talking about," CeeCee said crossing her arms.

He stood up. "You're trying to tell me about you family and your life, trying to get me to see you as a real person. I'm not interested," he explained to her.

CeeCee dropped her arms, "Okay, okay, we...you have to be interested in getting out of here. I mean, you broke into this hotel to get that briefcase. You must know how to diffuse it."

"Not without the code."

"Wait, so what's your plan?" CeeCee crossed her arms again, narrowing her eyes in curiosity, "You want to sit here and...and passively just wait for that thing to self-destruct and kill you."

Three took a few steps closer to her, and leaned down to whisper to her, "Actually, I'm going to make sure that you're between me and the blast."

---

One looked at the six bullet holes in the wall, and then walked away from it. "Will you look at that trajectory? It's always drifting to the left," he said walking back to Dr Krantz. "But I applaud you though, Cyrus, you didn't even flinch when I fired the gun past your head. Very impressive, so to award your extraordinary courage the doctor has my permission to tend to the lady with the gunshot wound. See how nice I can be." One smiled.

"You pompous bastard," Jess whispered.

"Excuse me," One spoke to her and stepped toward her, "Did you say something?"

"She didn't say anything," Dr Krantz replied. One looked at him. Dr Krantz continued, "Doctor, can you help Tasha, please?" The doctor moved down to the couch, and took Ruth's place. Ruth stood up and walked around the couch, still shaken up from the experience. Jess went over to comfort her best friend.

One pointed his gun at them. "You step..away..from..her."

Suze looked around the room from her spot. She had to do something to get out of here. "I can't be here," just as she hoped, One turned to her, "I can't be here," she put her hands to her head, "I feel like my head's going to explode. Somebody please...you got to let me out."

"Could somebody, please, shut her up," One said a little agitated.

"I got it," Adam offered. He walked over to Suze, and pulled her into a comforting embrace. "Suze, you have to calm down, alright," he whispered to her, "You're just making him mad. We are going to get out of this."

"You have to help me out of here, so that we can get out of this," Suze whispered back.

Nicholas Mercer, the doctor, sighed and looked at the leader. "I cannot treat this woman here. She's bleeding and going into shock. We need equipment," Nicholas told him.

"Awww. Sorry," One replied.

Douglas stood up, angry and having had enough with the games, "You son of a bitch! You have to let someone take her out!"

"Eight," One nodded to one of the men behind Douglas. Eight took his automatic gun and slammed it into the back of Douglas' head. Jess gasped and tried to go to her brother as they watched him fall to the floor. Dr Krantz held her back.

"So, everyone's clear. I don't have to do anything."

---

"Boss," the woman, Two, called to One. He turned. "We took the young man and put him in an office and locked it."

"Good," One said.

Suze tapped Paul. "If you can get someone to create a diversion, I can sneak out the service door," she whispered.

"Do not even think about it," Paul whispered back, without looking at her. Suze looked at him.

"She still alive?" One questioned the ones helping Tasha.

"We need to get the bullet out," Nicholas explained, "She needs suction, sutures. We also need some towels and a first-aid kit."

"So, you like to play games, huh? Well, I say we make it much more interesting," Dr Krantz replied, "I can arrange for you to get what you came for and you can all walk away with your lives."

One walked over to him.

"I can see you're starting to feel the pressure. You're not thinking clearly," Dr Krantz continued, "So what are you going to do? You're going to wait until the vault opens. This place is going to be filled with cops, swat teams. You got the manager's knowledge of the layout of the hotel and my resources, you can make a clean break. I know you wanted this to go off fast, in, out, five minutes. You are cornered." One continued holding his gun on Dr Krantz. "Your plan was shot to hell, so I'm giving you a chance to escape but what you have to give me, though, you got to let Tasha get away."

One stared at him. He removed his gun. "I appreciate your offer, but I'm not as trapped as you think I am."

---

CeeCee paced around the interior of the vault while Three sat against the wall, watching her. "Do you ever stay still?"

She spun around, "I can't help it. I pace when I'm terrified. You can at least tell me what I'm dying for."

"You know as much as I do," he simply stated.

"Why would anyone ever take a job they don't know anything about?" CeeCee asked him, her eyes narrowing.

"Try for a cool million in cash."

"Oh, okay," CeeCee slid to the floor opposite him, "So, for money, you're willing to kill a bunch of innocent people who never did anything to you. Put your life on the line and get stuck in some vault, waiting for some briefcase to explode."

"That was the plan."

CeeCee looked at him. "That has to be the dumbest reason to die I have ever heard."

---

Two pointed her gun at Jess. "Lightening girl Jessica. What's your last name?"

Jess looked at her with disgust on her face. "You come in here, hitting and shooting at us, and you expect me to help you compile your little list. You can shove it."

"You're starting to get on my nerves," Two warned her.

"Jess, it's time for you to cooperate," Dr Krantz told her.

Jess looked at the woman. "Mastriani," she snapped.

Two put her gun away, and walked over to One. "The girl says her name is Jessica Mastriani. I don't know if I believe anything out of that fat mouth."

"You're a professional. Don't let a kid barely out of puberty get under your skin," One told her. "What about the woman I shot?"

"Tasha Mastriani."

"There's a door near the office where they put that young man. It's clear," Adam whispered to Suze.

"That door leads outside," Suze whispered back, "That could be our way out."

Suddenly, the phone at the front desk rang. Everybody turned to look at it and then at the leader, wondering what was going to happen. One walked over to the phone, "I knew we needed the lobby phone." The phone rang again, and he answered it. "Good evening. Who am I speaking to?"

"This is Commissioner Williams," the commissioner answered, "We have you surrounded."

"Yes, I heard you the first time...when you yelled it through that dreadful bullhorn," One responded, "You think that surrounding the building with your men will give you an advantage, but I don't think so."

One hung up with a click before the commissioner could say anything.

---

CeeCee stood up against the wall, her hands laying protectively on her belly. Three stood across from her, looking at his phone. "It's the vault," she advised him, "This high-tech security system can interfere with cell phone service," she glanced to the side, "I'm really surprised you guys didn't plan for that."

He stared at her.

"So, is this your first time?" CeeCee questioned.

Three continued to stare at her. "Are you deliberately trying to insult me?"

She recognized the tone in his voice. She looked down, "I'm just going to keep quiet." CeeCee gently rubbed her belly, not sure if she was trying to soothe the babies or herself.

"I've pulled off a few heists, just not high profile like this one," he decided to answer her, "This was supposed to be a no brainer."

"What went wrong?" CeeCee asked.

"You did. You kicked me, remember?"

---

Commissioner Williams ran up to the two officers he had sent in to evacuate the rest of the building. "Okay, tell me everything we know about the hostages," he told them.

"We got several hotel staff, the assistant manager, a security head, two bellhops, two clerks, and some hotel tenants," one of the officers explained.

---

Suze walked quietly up to Jess. "There's an unblocked door at the end of the hall where they put your brother. And I know it leads outside," Dr Krantz listened to their conversation, "If you can create a diversion, I can slip out, and get the cops in here." Jess looked at her, thinking that it could work.

"The police are obviously waiting for a hostage negotiator," One spoke to his men, "It's time for us to buy us some more leverage."He nods to Two, and she turned slightly and pulled a big, black bag to the center of the group. She knelt down and unzipped it, revealing a bunch of explosives.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ruth asked the closest person to her, which happened to be Paul.

"They're either going to try to blow the vault or the lobby," Paul said in a whisper.

Ruth turned, open-mouthed. "Why would they do that? They're in here, too."

Jess and Suze looked at each other. Jess started walking to the leader, "Hey, Fun One. Did it ever occur to you that if Tasha dies, everyone in here is going to freak." One listened to her, interestingly, "That may put a crimp in your crowd control. There's a first aid kit behind the desk, why don't you let me get it for you?"

While Jess was talking, Suze started back away from the lobby. She was halted in her movements, though. "Let Susannah get the kit," Dr Krantz suggested without looking at her. Suze turned around. "Susannah."

"You mean the little one with the bad judgement?" One replied, "Alright, don't try anything, darling." Suze sighed, and went to get the first aid kit.

Jess moved back over to Dr Krantz. "What the hell are you doing? I was trying to create a diversion," she told him.

"No more diversions from now on," Dr Krantz whispered to her, "Do not do anything I don't tell you to do."

---

Unable to stand on her feet anymore, CeeCee sat back down. She stared at the briefcase. "Aren't you at least curious about what's inside?" she asked him.

"I don't care if it's gold bricks or taco chips. As long as I get paid," Three replied.

"See, that's the difference between us, you think you're going to survive this and I'm really worried that I won't. If I'm going to die, I would at least like to know what for. I mean, what is in that briefcase that is worth my life?"

---

"You need to prep for at least one gunshot victim, but there might be more, many more," the commissioner instructed a couple of paramedics.

"Alright, time's up," Rob announced, approaching the commissioner, "I'm not waiting any longer for you to botch my wife and baby's rescue."

The commissioner was losing his patience. "We have a gunshot victim in there! You go in there and make things worse, I will shoot you myself!" he exclaimed. Rob gritted his teeth, and walked away reluctantly.

---

The men were at work setting up explosives on the walls around the room. Suze took the first aid kit out, and walked it over to Nicholas. He took it, opened it, and looked inside. He sighed. "There is nothing in here that I can use to operate. We can slow the blood loss, but she needs surgery now or she's not going to make it." He was ignored.

Suze was over next to Jess. "Do you know anything about explosives?" she asked her.

Jess sighed, running her hands over her face, "Yeah, a little bit too much. There's enough here to blow us all up."

"May I have your attention, please," One called to everyone, "Thank you. You may have noticed the new addition to the lobby decor. If you guessed it's plastique, then you are correct. There are enough explosives here to destroy the lobby and all of you, but not in case you're wondering, any of us." Everybody listened to him, terrified, "There is a sixty second delay on the detonator, that's one minute if you prefer to generalize." He held the detonator, "If you become more trouble than our objective in the vault is worth, we shall push the button, go out the back, and you shall all go boom. The police will be so distracted searching through your shattered bodies, that they won't pay any attention to us. Now if anyone shall feel the urge to become a hero, our team will be rotating possession of the detonator," He passed it to Two, who held it up for all to see, "So, you'll never know which one of us has it. So if you try to seize it and guess wrong, you and the lobby will all be blown to bits. Any questions?" One smiled as he looked around at all of the angry and terrified faces.

Nobody spoke up. "That's very wise," One continued, "So, I suggest you all sit down, relax, and enjoy the experience, because it may well be your last one on earth. Thank you." He smiled at them on last time.

"Did you hear what he just said," Paul leaned forward and whispered to Suze, "From now on you just do what I say, no more plans with lightning girl, just stick with me, close by, and be ready to move."

Suze looked at him. "What are you going to do?"

Paul took a deep breath. "These guys are going to wait for the vault to open, and then they're going to blow this hotel sky high to cover their tracks. They're not going to leave any survivors. There's no way in hell I'm going to let the one person I've ever loved to die, so I'm going to do whatever I have to do to get you out of here alive."

---

What do you think? sorry for the long wait, but hopefully this long chapter made up for it. Please review.


	5. Ten hours earlier

**Chapter****Four**

**Ten hours earlier, 7p.m.**

Police officers ran from place to place, doing what they were told. Meanwhile, Rob walked determinedly toward the hotel. The police commissioner saw him, walked in front of him, and put his hands out to stop him. "Wait a second. Where do you think you are going?" he questioned Rob.

Rob looked him square in the eye. "You can stand here and haggle for hostages all you want, but I'm getting my wife out of there," Rob answered. He moved around the commissioner and began walking toward the hotel again.

Commissioner Williams grabbed Rob's arm, stopping him again, "Hey. HEY!" Rob whipped back around to face him, getting angry. "Your wife is not the only person in that lobby, alright? She's not the only one trapped in there. There are other lives to be taken into consideration—"

"Then, why are you standing here?!" Rob interrupted, "You've given them all this extra time to secure their positions." At that time, another officer ran up to them.

"What's going on?" Officer Todd James asked.

"Mr Rob Wilkins is unhappy about how the Carmel Police Department is handling this situation–" the commissioner tried to explain.

"You doing it too slow!" Rob exasperated, interrupting the commissioner again.

Commissioner Williams held his finger up to Rob. "I'm warning you. You go into that building, you're under arrest." He walked away irritated.

Rob looked at the officer. He looked like he had loved ones in there, too. It looked like Todd wanted to desperately go in there, but was trying to do his job the way he's supposed to. "I'm going in. Are you with me?" Rob asked Todd.

---

"Her pressure is dropping," a nurse, Kara, who had also volunteered to help along side Nicholas, said to the doctor.

"We need to elevate her legs," Nicholas instructed. They went to work, getting pillows to put under Tasha's legs, elevating them.

"She's losing too much blood," Kara replied.

"There's nothing else I can do, Tasha needs surgery," Nicholas admitted.

One came over and pointed his gun at them. "Didn't I make myself clear? You talk, you die," he reminded them. They stared at him, and watched as he walked away again.

Jess and Ruth sat on a bench together. Jess waited until One passed them before she began whispering. "We can't wait for the police to rescue us, we're going to have to get out of here ourselves," she told her best friend.

"How?" Ruth asked her.

"There's a door," Jess began explaining, "at the end of hall, leads to the parking lot."

"But, even if we can make it out of there, how do we get out? They sealed off all the exits," Ruth replied.

"The employee break room," Jess revealed, looking at her best friend, "There's an entrance there."

Ruth looked at her. "I'm in. What do you want me to do?"

"Whatever you are planning, forget it. I am not going to let you risk your life to save me," Suze whispered to Paul.

"Suze, I care about you. Jesse is out there, probably worried about you–" Paul tried to explain his actions.

"I know that, but you don't deserve to die at the hands of these guys," Suze said to him, "I'm not leaving here without you." Suddenly, One shot his gun at them. Paul grabbed her, and pulled her down to the floor. Everybody else ducked at the sound of the gun.

"You okay?" Paul asked Suze.

"She's fine!" One answered for her, walking to where the bullet hit. "Oh dear, missed." He walked away from the wall. "It appears from your muttering back and forth that you started to forget the guidelines for these proceedings. Allow me to refresh you memory. You are _hostages_," he told them, "You cooperate or you die. There will be no other options. It's true that my team and I are waiting for the vault to open, we've very much like to acquire what's inside, however, there comes a point in which any undertaking becomes unbearable, so if you force us to cut our losses and leave without the item we came here for, we shall reciprocate by locking you up in the lobby and blowing you to kingdom kum. So you see, your ability to follow instructions may very well save your lives."

---

"I am not hanging my wife and baby's life on police procedure," Rob exclaimed, still talking to Todd.

"Hey, I want my loved ones safe as much as you do, but charging in there will only make things worse," Todd argued.

"We passed worse about a half hour ago!" Rob continued.

"If you go rushing in there, it could get Jessica shot just like the first woman," Todd continued to try get Rob to back down. Rob looked at the building. It looked like he was getting close to being convinced, so Todd continued, "So could anybody else in there. These guys are desperate. They got nothing to lose, we do."

Rob considered him.

---

One whispered something to one of his men, and then turned back to his hostages. "I imagine you're wondering about the detonator. Which one of us has it? Are we going to trigger it? After all, sixty seconds isn't that long. And will we make it out in time? I can assure you that out exit strategy is very well planned. We'll be leaving, you'll be staying. The only question is if anyone of you will be in one piece?" He pointed to one of the hostages, "You, Save us Cyrus. No doubt you know all about explosives."

"Well, you got enough plastique here, taped to the walls, to blow this lobby sky-high," Dr Krantz replied.

"Well depending on its' structural integrity, the explosion could take the whole building down," One corrected, laughing a bit, "I have to admit it's tempting to see what will happen. Oh well, we'll just have to wait for that later."

"I know his voice from somewhere," Suze whispered to Paul.

"Can you place it?" he asked her.

"No, not without seeing his face," Suze tried to stand up to go after One, but Paul held onto her, keeping her down.

"Don't even think about it."

Suze looked at him. "Don't you want to know who he is and why the hell he's doing this?"

"We know why he wants the briefcase—"

"And after he gets it, he's going to blow the entire lobby," Suze told him.

"We got twelve hours."

"We're just going to sit here?"

"We got twelve hours...before the vault opens." Paul whispered the last part. "That gives us enough time to figure out a way to get out of here without you having to rip that mask off his face." Suze began to believe him. "We don't want to shake his confidence. Let him think he's in control of the situation."

Suddenly, the phone rang. Everybody looked over at it. One went over to it and placed his hand on it. "That would be the hostage negotiator, preparing to bargain for your lives. But I'd rather give you the opportunity to win them back, so," he began walking away from the ringing phone, standing behind the people helping Tasha, "we're going to play another little game, which I like to call Musical Hostages." The phone continued to ring. "The rules are very simple. I pair you off periodically and at the end of each round the one without a partner loses. Simple."

"What happens when there's an even number of people?" Ruth asked him.

"That's an excellent question, you get twenty points," He walked in her direction, "I guess I'm going to have to find someone to get rid of. Mmmm." He looked around the room at everybody, their faces showing that they didn't want to be the one he picked. Then, he stepped over and pointed his gun at Kara, the nurse. "I think I'll start with you."

Kara looked up at him with a terrified expression on her face.

"C'mon," One replied taking her arm and pulling her up. Kara looked over at Nicholas, then back at One, taking short, scared breaths. "We won't be needing you at the moment." He pushed her toward one on of his men, who then took her out of the room.

Mike stood up and moved a little bit toward One, leaving Nicholas to keep pressure on Tasha's wound. One of the other men caught his arm. "Take me instead," Mike volunteered.

One looked at him apologetically. "You'll have to wait for the next round, I've already made my selection," One told him.

"She's already terrified. If she gets any more scared, she's going to—" Mike tried to reason before One cut him off.

"Chivalry may not be dead, but she will if you don't _back off_," One warned him. "So sit down before I change my mind and play shoot the hostage instead. Go," He took him by the shoulder, and lead him to another area. One pushed him down next to Jess and Ruth. Another man took Jess's arm, pulling her up and away.

"Where are they taking Kara?" Ruth whispered to Mike.

"I don't know," Mike responded looking around the room.

"We have to do something to help her," Ruth replied. All the men were busy moving the hostages around the room and pairing them off. One yanked Nicholas to his feet from where he was keeping pressure on Tasha's wound.

Nicholas fought against him. "No, no, no! We have to keep pressure on the wound, she's going to bleed to death!" One kept a firm grip on him, not giving in to reason. He turned to one of his men on the other side of the room.

"Put lightening girl with the injured woman," One ordered pointing with his gun. The man who had her began to bring her over, despite her words.

"Why, why?" Jess protested, "Nicholas is the doctor. I can't help her."

One was pulling Nicholas with him. He ignored her protests. Jess was now right next to Tasha, and the man pushed her down to the floor. "I can't help Tasha! I don't know how!"

One pushed Nicholas down with Dr Krantz. He looked at Jess. "Well, it should be fun to watch you make it up as you go," he told her. Jess stared at him.

"Where do you want him, boss?" Two asked, pointing her gun at Paul. One turned to them, Jess watching it. Everybody else turned their heads, knowing what was probably going to happen.

One stepped over to them, "Looks like you're the odd man out." Then, he ordered Two, "Take care of him." Two took his arm, and went to pull him away when Jess's voice rang out.

"Tasha won't last five minutes if Paul doesn't help me!"

They stopped. One considered this for a moment. He nodded slightly, "Alright." Two directed him over to Tasha, keeping her gun at his back.

Paul reached Jess and Tasha, and knelt down next to her. "Thanks."

"How's Tasha doing?" Dr Krantz whispered to Nicholas.

"She's going to bleed to death if we don't find a way to get her out of here," Nicholas explained.

---

"I can't just stand here knowing Jess in danger," Rob admitted, still talking to Todd.

"How is it going to help Jess if you walk in there and get yourself killed?" Todd threw at him, "You're not superman. You can't walk in there and walk out like—"

"Todd, face it," Rob interrupted getting tired of going around this circle, "These flat foots are useless. This SWAT team couldn't swat flies. You and me. We are all of those hostages best hope." Todd looked at him, not sure what to do.

---

The phone rang again. Once again, everybody's eyes went right to it. One walked over to it. "That would be the commissioner," he picked the phone up and looked at it, "no doubt waiting for an update on the gunshot victim. What should I tell him?"

Jess was staring at him. "To blow your head off," she answered him.

One looked at her, and clicked the answer button on the phone. "Yes?" he said into the phone.

"This is District Attorney Jacob Manning," the voice on the other ended replied.

"Oh, what about Commissioner Williams?" One wondered, licking his lips.

"Well, he thought I might be in a better position to help you," Jake explained.

One nodded and lowered his voice slightly. "Is that so?"

"Is there anything I can get you to make more comfortable in there?" Jake questioned with the commissioner standing right next to him.

"Well let me think about it, Mr Manning. I'll get back to you," One hung up the phone.

---

"The man on the phone didn't sound panicked or particularly worried about anything, which means he doesn't have a lot of incentive to negotiate," Jake told the commissioner.

"What about the gunshot victim?" Commissioner Williams asked.

"He didn't mention her," Jake said and walked away. The commissioner looked at the building for a minute and then followed.

---

Jesse de Silva handed his patient's chart to the nurse at the nurses' station, and headed off to the locker room to change out of his scrubs. Walking down the hall, he checked his watch. He hoped Susannah wasn't angry at him. He had called her and, since she didn't pick up, left a message on her cell phone. Hopefully, she got the message and didn't go home. Jesse opened the door to the lounge, and saw Brendan and a couple nurses and orderlies hanging around in there, watching something on the small television.

"What are you all watching?" Jesse questioned taking his white coat off and laying it across the back of a chair.

"You'll never believe it," Brendan answered leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. He glanced at his friend and colleague, then looked back at the screen. "Some men in masks and guns stormed the Sterling Star Hotel, and have taken hostages. There's one report of a gunshot victim so far."

All the color drained from Jesse's face. He was supposed to meet Susannah there. "W-What?" Jesse stammered.

Brendan remembered the reservations, and stood up. "I'm sure Suze is okay. She probably came out when the police evacuated the building. The gunmen are stationed in the lobby with the hostages," he tried to calm his friend.

Wrong move. That only seemed to make Jesse worry more. "I left Susannah a message to wait for me in the lobby," Jesse whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Aw, man, I'm sorry, Jesse," Brendan said. Jesse regained his composure and the ability to move his legs after the shock wore off. He turned and ran out of the lounge. Jesse kept up his speed as he raced for the elevator, still in his scrubs. He jumped into the elevator, and pushed the button frantically to make the elevator go faster.

---

Rob sat on the stoop head in his hands, watching as an officer walked up to the D.A. "The press overheard the guys talking about the injured woman, they want a statement," he told Jacob.

Jake sighed, scratching the side of his face. "Alright, why don't you just tell the press that we're doing everything we can to secure the safe release of the injured woman," Jake suggested.

"They agreed to release her?" the officer questioned.

"They will," he turned to the SWAT team member standing there, "Captain, how long before you can fill that entire lobby with tear gas?"

"A few seconds," the captain responded, "Why?"

Jake sighed. "We got to do something to rattle these guys' cage," he said and walked away. Rob heard this, and stepped off the stoop and made his way back over to Todd.

"This is ridiculous," Rob replied, "You got a Napoleonic D.A. over there, barking orders to a bunch of toy soldiers. Inside, they're staring down a barrel of a gun. Are you going to put your lover's life in Manning's hands?"

"Rob, there's no guarantee you can stroll in there and bring Jess out," Todd told him, getting tired of this subject.

"I don't care, I know how to get around these things," Rob admitted, "All I have to do is get in there, you just run interference for me with these spuds. I will get the situation in hand, not just for Jess but for the rest of the hostages."

Todd considered him.

---

"I'll do...whatever you want, just please, don't hurt me!" Kara cried as the man pulled her down the hallway. The man opened a door, pulled her, and pushed her into the room. She stumbled a few steps into the room. When she caught herself and turned around, she saw the man closing her alone in the dark room. Kara ran for the door, banged on it a couple times, "No! No, no, no, don't leave me in here!" she tried the doorknob, "Please don't leave me in here! You can't do this!" She stopped and sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to let her out. Kara moved her hand along the wall to the light switch. As she turned the light on, she heard a groaning noise.

Kara turned around, and saw Douglas lying on the couch, holding his hand to where he was hit. She walked over to him, concern written on her face. "Douglas," she got closer and leaned over him, "Douglas, can you hear me?"

"T-Tasha, h-how is she?" Douglas stammered in a whisper, wincing at the pain.

"She's alive. The doctor's taking care of her," Kara reassured him. She took the pitcher of water from the table, poured some onto a cloth, and pressed it to the back of his head. "We're going to get out here, somehow. Someone is going to come get us."

---

Suze sat behind a couch, not the one Tasha was lying on, holding her legs against chest. She watched one of the men walk past her. Adam also sat with her, his back against the couch. "You know how to fight," Suze whispered to him, "I'm sure you can manage it against these guys, especially for CeeCee's sake."

Adam just sat there with his arms resting on his knees, looking at her. "No, no, no, please, no!" Suze looked up and saw One picking Lena up and pulling her. "No, please don't!" Lena was close to tears as One pushed her down next to Adam.

Suze tapped One right as he was about to walk past her. "Hey, excuse me," One turned to look at her, "The people who are helping out Tasha, they could use a hand."

"Are you offering your services?" One asked her.

"I'm not a nurse, but I know how to apply pressure to a wound," Suze said.

One stared at her. "I'll keep you in mind," he told her and walked away.

Suze looked down, trying to remember something, "I've heard that voice before."

"He's back. Now's our chance," Ruth whispered to Mike, getting ready to move.

Mike looked at her. "Chance for what?"

"If we go to the break room, we can sneak out the back and get out," Ruth explained starting to move across the bench but Mike grabbed her.

"No, you stay right here!" Mike ordered in a whisper. Ruth didn't listen. She started to slowly inch her way along the bench to the back. She looked around to make sure no one was watching her.

"How's her pulse?" Jess asked as she and Paul held the bloody jacket in place on the wound. Paul reached across to Tasha's neck to find a pulse. He waited for a few minutes before he found it.

"It's weak, but it's steady," Paul informed her.

Jess looked at Tasha sadly. She shook her head and looked down at the bloody mess. "Not for long. She losing so much blood, this thing is soaked through. We're going to have to replace it with something else," Jess replied. Paul started to take off his jacket to put on it while Jess started to take the bloody one off.

"Jessica, don't!" Nicholas shouted over to them. Jess and Paul stopped, looking over at him. "Her blood won't be able to clot if you take that off, add the jacket on top." Jess and Paul nodded and did what he told.

Nicholas slowly sat back down as One came over and pointed his gun at him. "Your shift is over, doctor."

"I was just trying to help them get the bleeding under control," Nicholas explained.

"Okay, another tip like that you'll be bleeding faster than your patient," One warned him.

"He made a mistake," Dr Krantz spoke up, "It's not going to happen again."

"Make sure of it," One told him. He lowered his gun and walked away.

"Okay, you want to help. You sit here, and pretend to cooperate. The less attention you cause to yourself the easier it would be to slip out of here if there's an opening," Dr Krantz said to the doctor.

"I'm not leaving here until we're all released," Nicholas replied.

"Somebody has to tell the cops that this lobby is wired to explode."

---

Jesse arrived at the scene, jumped out of his car, and ran up to the district attorney. "Is there any word on the gunshot victim?"

"Not since the initial report that she'd been shot," Jake explained, "We're trying to—"

"Alright, we need to keep trying? We need to find out how bad she is," Jesse interjected, worried that it could Susannah in there with the gunshot wound.

"Jesse, if you push this, it could go bad," Jake warned him.

"Look, if she doesn't get out of that lobby, she's going to die!" Jesse exclaimed. Jake didn't say anything. "Please, just find out!"

Jake sighed and pulled out the phone. He dialed the lobby's extension, and waited for the leader inside to pick up.

The phone rang inside and One picked it up. "Perhaps you don't understand the protocol. When I say I'll get back to you that indicates that you should wait for the phone to ring."

"Yes, I understand," Jake responded, "Can you give us an update on the gunshot victim?"

"Well, I shot her in the stomach. She's still breathing, but she's also still bleeding," One explained.

"Why don't you let us take her out?" Jake suggested.

"I'm not going to be able to release any of the hostages. You see, I've grown quite attached to the lot of them," One declined.

Jesse was getting impatient. "Just at least, let us get some medical supplies in there," Jake continued to press.

"I'll get back to you. To be clear, that means you should wait for me to call—"

"Just tell me what you want and I will get it for you." It was too late. One had already hung up. Jesse looked at him when he took the phone away. "He may allow us to get some supplies in there."

Jesse ran his hand through his hair. "You better think fast, because I know she doesn't have much time," Jesse said.

"Look, I won't get your hopes up. This guy doesn't care whether she lives or dies." That only made Jesse worry more. _Please be okay, querida._

---

"You know that I blame myself for Lena being there, don't you?" Todd accused Rob, "Now, you're trying to use it to your advantage!"

"What are talking about, what advantage?" Rob scoffed, "Your love, my wife and baby are all in there. You're going to trust their lives to these clowns?"

"You don't even know how badly I want to be in there," Todd told him.

"Then why are we standing here?" Rob questioned.

Todd looked at him. "We wouldn't even know how many guys we'd be going up against."

"We will once we get inside," Rob replied. "Meanwhile, the more desperate they get in there, the more likely they are to pop another one of the hostages."

"Going in there could get more hostages killed!" Todd backtracked, "I'm not going to take that risk, and neither will you."

---

Ruth continued to move slowly along the bench. Mike looked over and saw her still trying to get away. "Ruth, get back here!" She kept going. "Get over here!"

Ruth was almost to the end when, suddenly, One sat down in the way next to her. "Going somewhere?" he asked her, smiling.

"I just wanted to get some water," Ruth lied. She started to get up, but another man sat on her other side. One got back up and stood in front of her.

"Well, probably, you don't need those pretty little legs to get it," One replied, "So, we'll just shoot the right one." He pointed his gun at her leg. Ruth whimpered a no as everybody, once again, watched what he'll do next.

Seeing her best friend in trouble, Jess stood up, saying, "I can't do this." Paul didn't know what she was doing, he kept telling to sit down as she backed away. "I like Tasha, she's my brother's wife, but here I am covered in her blood, not sure if she's going to make it."

One was looking at her. He started walking over to her, "Well, if you'd rather sit back and watch her die." Ruth took a deep breath of relief that he had walked away from her. She decided not to try to sneak away again.

"I don't even know if she is breathing. I am not a doctor," Jess snapped at him.

One walked past her to look at Tasha right next to Paul. "Does she have a pulse?" he asked Paul.

"I don't know," Paul lied looking up at him. One didn't say anything, everybody watched him.

"You have to let Nicholas help her," Jess insisted.

One looked across the room and smiled at Nicholas. "Nicholas," he called, starting to move over toward him, "Would you care to assist?"

"Of course," Nicholas replied standing up and walking over to Tasha. He stopped when One stepped in his way.

"Say please," One grinned.

Nicholas glowered at him.

"Pretty, pretty please," One added.

Nicholas' eyes didn't waver from One's face. He didn't like having to ask permission to attend to a patient, but if it helped get him to the patient faster. "Please?" Nicholas said.

One threw a curve ball. "But what you willing to give up in return?" he questioned, smiling. "I'm sure we can come up with a mutual arrangement," One added. He grabbed Nicholas' arm. "Would like to see for yourself?"

"Alright," Nicholas acquiesced.

"Let's go, but first, let's change things up a bit," One walked over and grabbed Ruth. She whined. Dr Krantz was pulled up and pushed down next to Mike. One pulled Ruth over to Paul and Tasha. He spoke to Paul, "You, over with her," One pointed.

"What about Tasha?" Paul asked, still keeping pressure on the wound.

One pointed at Ruth, "You, take over."

"Me?" she repeated.

"You obviously need something to occupy your time," One shook her arm and threw her down to the floor. He turned to Jess. "You feel free to help. We don't want to get blood all over the room." Jess stared at him, and then moved over to help them. She took Paul's position, so that he could go where One told to him to go.

"Tasha needs a doctor," Jess said again.

One glanced back at her, and then turned back to Nicholas. "Yes, well, Nicholas and I still need to finalize some details. If you'll excuse us." One motioned for Nicholas to follow him.

---

"Where are we going!" Nicholas shouted at One's back. They stopped in front of a door, and One turned to him.

"I thought you might want a few moments to find out...what you're willing to do help poor Tasha," One explained.

"Tasha needs surgery," Nicholas told him, "You have to let her out of here."

"I don't _have_ to do anything."

"If she's not evacuated soon, Tasha is going to bleed to death. Nothing in that vault could be worth someone's life," Nicholas continued to press.

"Well, that's a matter of opinion." One went to the door, and opened it. Kara looked at the door when it opened from her spot on the couch next to Douglas, holding the cloth to his head.

Nicholas walked over to them. "What happened here?" Kara stood up and moved behind the arm of the couch. He knelt down next to the couch. "Are you alright?"

Kara also kneeled down. "He might have a concussion. I put a damp cloth on the back of his head, but he could barely lift his head for me to see how bad it was," she explained.

"How's Tasha?" was the first words out of Douglas' mouth.

"I did what I could to control the bleeding, but her pulse is getting weaker," Nicholas told him despite his better judgement.

"Who's with her now?" Douglas continued to ask.

"Jessica and Ruth."

"Listen, she's my wife and I love her so much. She's probably scared right now, I have to be out there with her," Douglas started to sit up, but pain shot threw his head. Nicholas and Kara gently pushed him back down.

"You need to lie down—"

"No, you don't understand, I have to be out there with her," Douglas didn't give up. He tried to sit up again, but Nicholas and Kara kept him down.

One has been quiet long enough. "I'm afraid only one of you will be rejoining the group, so which one will it be?" Nicholas and Kara looked at each other, not wanting to leave each other again.

Nicholas stood up. "I'll go," he volunteered.

Kara also stood up. "Are you sure?"

"I have to be out there for Tasha. You're a great nurse, I can trust you to monitor him," he smiled at her, stroking her cheek softly, "Don't give up, we'll get out of here." Nicholas whispered the last part. He wanted so badly to kiss her, but he was afraid One would do something.

"Come on," One said. Nicholas backed up, gave her one last reassuring smile, and turned to leave with One.

---

Todd and another officer leaned on a police car, looking at a map of the hotel. "There are two service corridors," the officer pointed, "that can be entered through the loading dock."

"But there's no direct access to the lobby," Todd also pointed out. "What if we, um,..." He glanced to the side and back to the map, but he whipped his head back to what he saw.

"You alright?" the officer asked.

"Yeah, give me a minute," Todd answered. He began walking to a person dressed in swat gear. When he reached the man, "Rob, there's no way I'm letting you do this."

Rob turned around to face him. He just stared at him.

---

"These people have a definite objective," Jake told Jesse.

"Do you think I care?" Jesse replied.

"You should, because it's the only reason that they haven't negotiated."

Jesse threw his arms up, "I don't give a damn! Just find out what they want in exchange for the victim."

---

One and Nicholas came back into the room. He pushed Nicholas over to Suze, where another man was pulling Adam up to take him another spot. Nicholas looked over at Tasha when they walked by her. "Have a seat," One pushed him down next to Suze.

"I thought I was going to help Tasha now," Nicholas said.

"Well you thought wrong." At that moment, the phone rang. "There's a regrettable lack of courtesy in this town." He stalked over to the phone, and picked it up, angry. "Yes?"

"If the gunshot victim dies, you're looking at murder with special circumstances," Jake announced to him, "For her sake as well as yours, I'd like to propose an alternative."

"I'm listening."

Jake looked at Jesse, and asked, "What needs to go in?"

"Okay, we need gloves, sterile sponges, a scalpel..." Jesse continued naming things, speaking loud enough for the leader to hear.

"I'm not bringing in the whole bloody OR," One replied.

Jake make a slashing motion across his neck, indicating to Jesse, "It's too much."

Jesse gritted his teeth and grabbed the phone from Jake. "Listen to me, I need to know the exact location—"

"I really don't have to do anything. I'm going to leave everything the way it is. Bye." One hung up the phone without another word.

"No, don't hang up! Listen!" Jesse shouted, but it was too late. He handed the phone back to Jake. "_Maldita sea!_"

---

Dr Krantz stood and faced One. "I need to talk to you."

One smiled. "About what?"

"I want to make you an offer," Dr Krantz said.

One glanced at one of his men, then back Dr Krantz. He spoke to one of his men. "Find another office for Cyrus. See to it that he's comfortable," One instructed. He walked away after that. One of the men led Cyrus away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I should have listened to Mike and stayed where I was," Ruth apologized to Jess from where they were tending to Tasha.

"You took a chance to make things better, there's nothing wrong with that," Jess told her.

Ruth was looking down. "Tasha's not getting better, is she?"

"She's not going to die," Jess said, insistently. She leaned down closer to Tasha so that she could hear her. "You hear me. I am not going to let my brother lose the one thing that ever made him happy. Now you suck it up and you live."

"What are you doing?" Tasha barely managed to get out.

"I'm saving your life."

---

Rob buckled on a helmet. "You just turn around and walk away," he told Todd.

"Rob, if you go in there, you could get someone killed," Todd tried to reason with him. It didn't work. Suddenly, Jake called Todd's name while coming over to him.

"I need you to take—Oh no, no, no," Jake interrupted, seeing what was going on here. "No way. No way. Take that off—"

"My wife is in there!"

"You know what, everybody in that lobby has somebody out here who is terrified for them, they're not donning swat gear and storming the hotel, okay!? And neither are you. Todd, take this man downtown, arrest him for obstruction of justice," Jake ordered.

Rob held his hand up to Todd. "Don't even think about!"

Todd called for another officer. "I can't believe this," Rob exclaimed as the officer came behind him and handcuffed him. He started reading Rob his rights. "Yeah, I know this." The officer began leading him away from the scene.

Jesse walked up during the commotion. He looked around at all the officers doing their jobs. Jake saw him, but didn't think anything of it. Looking over his shoulder once more, Jesse ran for the lobby doors.

"Hey, hey!" Jake yelled to him. Officers aimed their guns at Jesse, about ready to shoot. Jake yelled at them, "No, hold your fire! This might be the opening we need."

---

"Where did they take you?" Jess leaned forward and whispered to Nicholas.

Nicholas looked at her curiously, but answered her anyway. "To an office down the hall."

Jess continued her questions. "Pass the boutique?"

"Yea," Nicholas nodded resting his head against the back of the couch.

"Were there any guards there?"

"I don't know, why?" Nicholas looked at her curiously again.

"Because my best friend didn't give her phone to the men," Jess explained, "Look, if one us can sneak away—"

"Don't even think about it," Nicholas stopped her, "If they catch you making a phone call—"

Jess interrupted him. "Your kidding me. I'm not going to wait here, waiting to get killed—"

"I'm hearing a lot of chatter coming from this side of the room," One replied walking over to them. He took Jess by the arm, pulling her up, "I think a time out is in order," She struggled with him, "Come here you!" Jess got to her full height, brought her arm up, and pulled his mask off before he or anybody could stop her.

Everybody stopped, including One. Jess realized what she just did.

"You really, really shouldn't have done that." He held his gun on her.

---

Are you still hooked? Please, please, please review. Tell me what you think.


	6. Nine hours earlier

**Chapter****Five**

**Nine hours earlier, 8p.m.**

Jess tried to get out of his grip, but One held onto her arm tighter. Everybody stared at the man before them, especially Suze. She stared in disbelief at the man. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be. There's no reason, it doesn't make sense. Her mind was boggled with questions. _How? Why?_ Suze couldn't take her eyes off of him. Then, she remember something. She turned her head toward Two. _Then, maybe..._

Felix Diego brought his gun up closer to Jess's head as she brought her head around to face him. But she really didn't want to make eye contact. He made her look at him, however, when he starting speaking. "Now you've just complicated things for me. Let me return the favor. Five," he called to one of the men. "Bring the bag."

"I knew I recognized his voice," Suze whispered to no one in particular.

Five walked over to Diego, who had dropped Jess' arm. Five was carrying a bag in one hand, and handed something to Diego with his other hand. Diego took it and tossed it at her. Jess caught it, looking it and him. It looked like the same black coveralls that Diego and the men were wearing. "What is this for?" Jess questioned him, still a little shaky from what she did.

"It's a fashion statement, put it on," Diegotold her, not too pleased with her.

"Jess," Paul stood up, "You put that on and the police could kill you."

Diego smiled. "And if you don't, I will kill you."

Jess looked at him in disgust. She unfolded it and unzipped it so she could pull it on. "You want the cops to think I'm one of you." Jess took a deep breath to calm herself. She still had the mask in her hand.

"Think of it as poetic justice," he told her, "I can't wait tosee you in the jumpsuit, darling." Diego walked away from her. Jess sighed and pulled on the jumpsuit.

---

"Don't shoot!" Jesse held his arms up in the air as he made it to the lobby doors. The officers watched him, Jake watched through his binoculars. "Don't shoot, I'm unarmed!" Jesse brought his arms down. Diego and the men inside turned to the sound of the voice so close."Listen to me, I'm a doctor. I can save the woman who has been shot."

Suze stopped when she heard his voice. He was here. He was here and he was trying to help. She closed her eyes in relief of hearing his voice, but also in fear of what Diego would do to him. Suze wanted so badly to go to him and let him hold her. She also wanted him to go away, not to get hurt by Diego.

One of the men stood by the door. "He's unarmed," he confirmed to Diego. Nobody said anything, not even Diego.

"Just listen to me," Jesse tried again, "You have my word. No tricks. No games. I just want to help the injured woman." All the hostages were listening to Jesse's words, hearing the pain behind them. Their hearts went out to him.Except for Diego. He had his gun pointed at the door.

Jesse waited for an answer, but he was getting impatient. He looked behind him at the police ready to shoot, then turned back to the door. He couldn't take it anymore. Jesse banged on the door. "Just let her go! Take me instead!"

"My name is Jesse de Silva. I'm a doctor," Jesse explained. One of the men inside pushed Jess to the floor while Jesse was talking. Luckily, she caught herself. "A surgeon. The woman who has been shot needs help."

Diego was now standing near the door. "But I can't let you in, so it seems that were in an impasse," he reasoned.

"Then take me instead. I'll do whatever you ask, just...please let the woman get some help," Jesse begged. It was breaking the hostages hearts' hearing him. Especially Suze's.

"Awww," Diego turned to look at everybody, "This is so incredibly sad. The doctor offering his life for another." He turned back to the door. "But you see, I like the hostages that I have. I really do."

Jesse looked back at the police for a lingering moment, then turned back to the door again. He wasn't giving up just yet. "Then let me in. Then at least I can help the woman."

Diego turned to everybody once again, "It's true that she could really use your help, and it's tempting to accept your sacrifice you're offering to make. But you see, we've done a bang up job here, no pun intended, to knock the place down, so I'm afraid you're going to have to leave now!"

"No!" Jesse exclaimed, "No, I'm not leaving her."

Suze couldn't take it anymore. She acted before thinking. "Jesse, I'm fine!" Suze called out to him. Jesse stopped her when he heard her voice. Some sort of relief washed over him. "I'm fine, I'm not hurt. Do as he says."

Diego had whipped around toward her when she had first spoken. He stalked toward her, his gun raised, ready to put a bullet in her head. Then he heard her tell Jesse to leave. _She could be some use to me yet._ Diego stopped and smirked.

Jesse was so glad to hear that she was okay. But for how long? That is what worried him. Even though he now knew that she wasn't the one who was shot, he was still adamant on his stance. "I'm not leaving!"

"Well then, I'll kill your lady friend now and end this discussion. Thank you," Diego replied.

"No," Nicholas stood up and blocked Suze from Diego, "I'm a doctor, too, but I'm not a surgeon. If you won't let Jesse in, then let him tell us how to save Tasha."

Diego smiled. "Aw, now that might be interesting." Instead of walking up to Nicholas, he moved toward Jess, "If I agree, would you be willing to perform the surgery, lightening girl?" He smiled down at her. Jess looked up at him, not sure what to say. 

Diego walked away from Jess, back over to the doors, "This is going to be so much fun."

Meanwhile, Five took an extra mask from the bag to give to Jess to finish off her 'outfit'. Two stopped him. "Don't give her a mask," she told him, "It will be too easy for her to blend in."

Five looked confused. "Yea, but he said—"

"It's not worth the risk."

Jesse continued to try to let the leader let him in. "Listen to me, if I can't examine her, I have no way of knowing the extent of her injuries, until I do...I can't talk someone through a surgery," Jesse declined.

Diego was now by the door once again. "Well, that's what makes life so interesting, Jesse boy, the thrill of the unexpected, the ability to take fate's little lemons and make lemonade. So, what do say? Where's your sense of adventure?" Diego was taunting him now, but Jesse didn't think he was going to get anything else from the man.

Jesse gave in. "Fine, okay, I'll play," he replied, "Tell me the rules."

"Go back to command central and wait for my phone call," Diego explained, "While you're waiting, I want you to relay a message. The next time someone approaches this door, a hostage will die. And that could very well be your beloved little lady friend here. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, okay," Jesse agreed, "No one comes near the door."

"Good man," Diego smiled, "You better hurry, you don't want miss my phone call."

Jesse looked at the door one last time, hoping his _querida_ will stay safe until they can get her out. Then, he ran back to the police.

"Now, we'll see if the love struck doctor can actually save a patient," Diego said walking away from the door. He motioned toward Jess. "And you get to be his eyes and hands."

Jess stared at him. "I'm not a doctor," she seethed.

"Which only raises the stakes, and makes it that much more interesting," Diego responded. "Who do you want to assist you?"

Jess looked around the room, then back at Diego. He waited for an answer. "Nicholas... and Kara," she told him.

"Pick _one_," Diego insisted.

Jess sighed and hesitated. Finally, she chose, "Nicholas."

---

Kara sat on the coffee table next to Douglas, checking his pulse every few minutes. Suddenly, the door opened. They both looked and were surprised to see that Diego wasn't wearing his mask. "It turns out that Tasha does need surgery," he told them. Douglas instantly became worried about her. Kara stood up. "An asserted young man named Jesse de Silva is going to talk lightening girl through the procedure, but she needs an assistant and has requested Nicholas to help," he pointed his gun at her, "Would you care to watch your boyfriend?"

"Douglas has a concussion. It could get worse, he can't be left alone," Kara advised him, a little tentatively. Douglas stopped her.

"No, no. Tasha has to get through this. I want anyone who can to help her, that includes you," Douglas urged her. Kara was reluctant to leave him by himself, but she needed to see Nicholas.

---

Helen Ackerman walked up to the police scene and ducked underneath the police tape. An officer stopped her. "You're not allowed in here," he told her.

"I don't give a damn. My daughter is in that hotel," Helen responded. She started to walk toward the D.A. again.

The officer stopped her again. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I have my orders. I can't allow anyone in here," he informed her.

"Then arrest me," Helen retorted and charged past the officer.

---

Jesse arrived back at the police scene. A detective grabbed him, ready to arrest him. However, Jake went to them and told the detective not to. "What-What is it?" Jake questioned him.

"I made a deal with the ring leader," Jesse revealed.

"What kind of a deal?" Jake nodded for him to keep going.

"He's going to give me a chance to save the gunshot victim's life," Jesse replied, "He said if anybody comes close to the lobby doors, he's going to kill a hostage."

"Okay, he could be bluffing," Jake said.

Jesse shook his head. "He's not bluffing. Look, he's very calm, almost amused. He said he'd give me a chance to talk someone through the procedure, because it would be interesting."

Jake nodded, glancing at the hotel out of the corner of his eyes. "Do you have any ideas to why he's doing this?" he questioned Jesse.

"I don't know. He didn't say anything like that," Jesse answered. He sighed and moved to the D.A.'s other side impatiently. "Look, in a minute the phone's going to ring, and I'm going to have a chance to talk someone through a surgery that could save the victim."

"Listen, while you're trying to help the woman, try to find out as much information you can about the situation in there," Jake told him.

Jesse looked at the lobby.

---

"Douglas shouldn't be left alone!" Kara exclaimed as Diego pulled her back into the lobby.

"Shut up," he simply told her and pushed her down behind the couch, opposite where Nicholas now was with Jess and Ruth helping Tasha. Diego went to those three. "No problem. You, Ruth. You get to stay with Douglas while Kara watches her boyfriend tries to save Tasha."

Ruth looked at Kara, then to Diego. "No, no, I think you want somebody else to go," she politely declined.

Diego leaned down closer to her eye level. "What's the matter? You have something against the young man? You want to share it with us." He looked at her questioningly.

"If he's sick, I can't help him!" Ruth exclaimed. "I can't do anything!"

"Well, Douglas is conscious for the moment, no doubt he can help you," Diego told her. Then, he motioned to his fiancee. "Two, take her." Two stepped forward, and pulled her up. Ruth didn't want to go, but Jess urged her to. She reluctantly went with Two.

"She's losing a lot of blood," Nicholas told Jess. Meanwhile, Diego picked up the phone and dialed it.

"Let me talk to the surgeon," Diego monotonously said into the phone.

Jesse was going through medical supplies when Jake came up to him with the phone. He handed the phone to him. "It's him," Jake informed him. Jesse took it from him slowly. "This is Dr de Silva," he said with sigh into the phone.

"Well, aren't you the speedy one," Diego commented.

"Look, I did what you asked, Mr...I don't know what to call you," Jesse replied.

"Don't worry about me," Diego responded, "The only people in your world right now are lightening girl, Nicholas, and poor pale Tasha. You may coach them through the surgery, but you can only use whatever supplies we have left in the hotel—"

"We need a sterile environment!" Nicholas interrupted. "We can't----"

Diego looked at him. "Ahh, the awes of improvisation."

"Let me talk to Nicholas," Jesse requested.

Diego turned toward the doctor. "Nicholas," he held the phone out, "Don't do anything stupid." He handed the phone to him.

Nicholas took it from him. "I'm here."

"Okay, umm, just describe to me the wound," Jesse began.

"The bullet entered Tasha's abdomen from the left side," Nicholas explained, "I'm unable to determine the trajectory, but she's losing a lot of blood."

Jesse nodded. "Okay, is her abdomen distended or is it soft?" he questioned.

"It's a little distended," Nicholas informed him.

"She's bleeding internally, we have to open her up. She could bleed to death," Jesse said, "Okay, I'm going to give you a list of supplies."

Nicholas nodded. He spoke to Jess. "I need a paper and pencil, over there." He pointed over to the front desk. Jess moved her hands, waiting until Nicholas had it to totally move her hands away. She looked up at Diego.

"Can I go to the desk and get a paper and pen?" she requested.

Diego cocked his head, pretending to consider it. "I'm feeling indulgent. Go." Jess got up, and went to the desk to get it. The men followed her with their guns. She returned back to her spot, handing the stuff over to Nicholas and taking over putting pressure on the wound. Nicholas told Jesse he was ready.

"Okay, you need clean towels, bleached preferably, you need sponges that are still in the wrapper if you can, you need a paring knife, a needle and thread,..." Jesse continued naming the items as Nicholas wrote them down.

---

Two opened the door, pushed Ruth inside, and closed the door again. Ruth tried to open it again, but the door was locked. Douglas watched her. She looked at him. "Kara should be here, I don't know how to help you."

"I'm fine, I don't need anything," Douglas told her, "How's everybody out there? How's Tasha?"

Ruth looked down, not sure how she could keep the truth from him. He might as well know. "Tasha...is getting weaker. A doctor on the outside has gone all heroic and says he can save her. They're letting him tell Nicholas over the phone how to operate," she explained.

Douglas took a deep breath, "Well, hopefully, he can save her."

"Yeah, let's all hope so," Ruth agreed.

---

Jesse placed the phone down on the hood of a police car, and turned to Jake. "He's going to call us back when they have the supplies." Jesse started walking away, but Jake stopped him.

"Okay, you need to get as much information out of this guy as you can—"

Jesse turned and faced him. "I need to save that woman's life!"

Jake put his hands up to calm him down. "Okay, okay, obviously that's your priority right now, but what I need from you is for you to set up some sort of signaling system, some sort of code with Nicholas and Jessica that maybe...have them take the woman's pulse every now and then, something. Something that we can ascertain how many hostages there are, how many men are holding them in there—"

"Do you think this guy is an idiot?" Jesse interrupted, "He's going to be listening to the phone call. He already shot one person, who knows who else he threatened!"

"Jesse, when you made it up to the doors, did you see Suze?" Helen spoke up, asking him, "Is she hurt?"

Jesse turned to her, his expression softening. "The windows were all blacked out, I couldn't see anything. But she did call to me and tell me that she was okay," he reassured her.

"Okay, okay, there are other lives at stake here," Jake blurted, getting impatient, "Obviously, what we need to do is get as much information as we can so that we can save all of the hostages."

"Or we kill everyone!" Jesse pointed out, getting angry.

"Alright, you need to take a step back," Jake warned him. "And think like a doctor, remove yourself personally from this. You have an obligation. I have an obligation to get all of those people out of there safe."

"I don't have to tell you this guy's an idiot. He's focused and emotionally detached. He knows that you're going to try to pull something on him, yet I won't risk it!"

Suddenly, the police commissioner appeared. "Tom!" Jake called out to him. Tom came running over, and they moved away from Jesse and Helen.

---

Nicholas stood up, and addressed Felix Diego. "I'd like to start gathering the list of supplies."

"I'm sure you would," Diego held the list of supplies in his hand and turned to the rest of the hostages, "but I say...I say we should share the joy. We need to fight the boredom before the hotel vault opens, so who wants to play?" He was walking around while saying this, and he now stopped and looked at everybody. Nobody moved. Diego looked at Nicholas. "I see Kara is your special girl, right? Right? As I thought." he smiled, and walked towards her. "Kara gets to go on the scavenger hunt, and with you two guards ready to shoot you if you do anything foolish."

Kara looked up at him, a little frightened. "I wouldn't know where to find those things in this hotel," she whispered, but Diego was still able to hear her.

Bravely, Marty stood up with the guns following him. "I can show you," he offered.

Diego turned to him, pointing his gun at him. "You shut up and sit down, McFarty!" he warned him. Marty slowly sat back down. Diego turned back to Kara. "Of course, you need a staff member," he started moving again. "How 'bout I pick...Lovely Lena."

Lena closed her eyes in dread. She opened them again and looked at him.

"You always seem so eager to help." Diego responded. Then, he addressed both her and Kara. "You have ten minutes to come back with every item on the list or you'll be penalized." Once again, he moved. "Let's see, uh, what kind of penalty?" Diego turned and pointed his gun at Kara. "How about a bullet in the head?"

"You are crazy," Jess replied.

Diego whipped his head around toward her. He removed his gun. "Or we can forget about the surgery? And Kara and Lena can watch Tasha die. Your choice—"

Kara stood up. "Alright, I'll do it. Give me the list," she acquiesced, holding her hand out for the list. Diego handed it to her while two men pulled Lena up and followed her as she followed Kara out of the room.

Diego turned back to the room, putting both his hands on his gun.

---

Diego sat on the couch, his feet up and was whistling while reloading his gun. Everybody watched him in fear. "Tic, tic, tic," he looked at his watch, "Tic, tic, tic, tic, tic." He looked away from his watch, Nicholas was watching him. "Tic, tic, tic," Diego was to continued when Kara and Lena came back into the room with the supplies. He stood up, "Aw." He took the list from the top of Kara's pile, looking down at it. "So, slow down, we need to see the complete list. Put the stuff there," he pointed to the armchair he was standing behind.

Kara and Lena did as they were told. "Mmm, clean sheets, towels, sponges, rubber gloves," he went down the list, "safety goggles, and my personal favorite, duct tape, and, uh, hold on, where's the monofilament line?" The girls looked at each other and around the room. "Ohh, and you only have ten seconds left." Lena looked behind her and saw something they could use. "Nine," She moved towards a poster hanging and took it down. "Eight, seven," Lena brought it over to them. "Six, five, four," she took the line off it, struggling to get it as she tried to hurry. "Three," Lena took it out and threw it into the pile of supplies. "Two, one, wow," He looked at Lena, "Wow, I'm impressed. For a moment, Kara lives." 

Diego walked over to the phone while telling Kara and Lena, "Give them the supplies." The girls gathered up the supplies again, and Diego dialed the phone. "Get the doctor on," he said when the phone was picked up.

Jake called to Jesse, and Jesse came over. He took the phone from Jake. Jesse took a deep breath before answering. "I'm here."

"Let's get the party started," Diego replied. He handed the phone to Nicholas. "If you say anything that doesn't relate to the surgery," he pointed his gun, "pow, pow."

Nicholas took the phone. "Jesse, I'm ready."

"Alright, just take a deep breath. Now this is just like med school, only with a real person and none of the right equipment," Jesse began.

"We got everything you said. Jess is laying out the instruments right now," Nicholas observed. "We moved Tasha onto the sheet, her pulse is weak but steady, but abdomen is firmer than before."

Jesse closed his eyes in dread, "Okay, then, we need to get started. Okay, you need to trace the path of the bullet through Tasha's abdomen with your finger."

Nicholas nodded, and motioned to Jess. She took hold of the phone and held it against his ear so that he could move his hands without dropping the phone. He did what Jess instructed him to do. Diego observed the scenario quietly. "Got it," Nicholas replied.

"Okay..."

---

"I can feel the bullet's path," Nicholas said.

"Okay, good, now, first you need to swab the sight and sterilize the paring knife," Jesse instructed.

Jess handed him the paring knife. "Where's the alcohol?" he asked. Jess picked it up and handed it to him. He poured it over the paring knife, and handed the alcohol back to Jess when he was done. "Okay, done."

"Now you're going to make a four inch incision directly over the path," Jesse continued.

"Okay," Nicholas turned to Jess, "Be ready with the towels, there's going to be a lot of blood." Jess got the towels ready as Nicholas began making the incision. Everybody watched the surgery. Diego looked on, his eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Alright, I'm in."

"Now, okay, make sure you cut from the top to the bottom." Nicholas listened to him. "Use the sponges to put direct pressure over the bleeder. Use the curling iron to cauterize it." The surgery was going smoothly so far. "Now, as soon as you've made the incision, we need to find out where all the bleeding is coming from."

Nicholas concentrated on the task at hand. Jess looked down at Tasha, hoping they could get her through this. Suddenly, something happened. Blood came spurting out. "Oh my god!" Jess exclaimed. Nicholas' reaction was quite the same. 

Jesse grew alert and concerned. "Nicholas, what's happening?"

He could hear both of their frantic voices on the other end of the phone. Then, Nicholas' voice came over. "The bullet hit an artery!"

"Okay, Nicholas, you need to tie off the artery! Use the monofilament line!" Jesse shouted to him.

Nicholas and Jess were working over time to stop the bleeding. Nicholas shouted to the men, "I need towels or tweezers, or she's going to die!"

"We got to stop this," Jess murmured to Nicholas. During the crisis, the phone had dropped to the floor. They barely recalled Jesse calling to them over the phone, asking what was happening.

---

So, so sorry for the extremely long wait. I kept getting distracted, hopefully it won't happen again. Please, please review. Reviews make me update faster wink wink


	7. Eight hours earlier

**Chapter Six**

**Eight hours earlier, 9p.m.**

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Ruth exclaimed as a man pulled her inside another dark room and closed the door, leaving her in there. She didn't know why they took her away from Douglas, and she didn't want to leave him in there by himself, something could happen. To tell the truth, Ruth actually didn't want to be alone. She groaned at the closed door, and tried to open it. It was locked. "Let me out of here!" she cried. Knowing it wouldn't do any good, she stopped banging on the door and began sobbing.

Ruth reached over to the light switch and turned the light on. She turned around. She stopped when she saw Dr Krantz sitting in an armchair, his arms behind him and he was staring at her. He also had a big, ugly bruise on the side of his face. Ruth began moving toward him. "Wh-why did they do that to you?" she asked him.

Cyrus winced a little from the pain of the bruise. "He wanted to stop me from leading a hostage revolt," he licked his dry lips.

Ruth stared, open-mouthed, "He just hates that you're not scared of him. He's just...he's just a total psychopath."

"Which is why you have to be very careful," Cyrus told her.

Ruth nodded, fear evident in her eyes. "He's going to kill us all, isn't he?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jess picked up the phone that was dropped earlier. "Jesse?"

"We need to stop the bleeding," Nicholas said, taking towels and putting them on the blood to soak it up.

"There's blood everywhere," Jess explained to Jesse over the phone.

"Okay, it's coming from the artery. You need to clamp it off," Jesse told her.

Jess and Nicholas tried frantically to soak up the blood with the towels. "How? We can't even see?!" Jess replied.

Suddenly, Kara stood up to go help them. All guns were pointed at her. "Stay where you are!" Diego advised her, threateningly.

Looking at them, Kara took a deep breath and said, "They need help."

Diego walked over to her. "I can understand you'd be willing to risk your life to save Tasha, but...to risk your lover?" he questioned her, "What kind of a girlfriend are you?"

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"What can I do for you?" Ruth asked, now beside him, as Cyrus tried to move his hands.

He gave up and leaned back against the chair. "I'm thirsty. Can you get...uh...get some water?"

"Yeah, sure," Ruth said and began looking around the room for some water. She looked back at him. "Did you...did you try to escape?"

"Worse," Cyrus answered, taking a few rasping breaths, "I told him that he was losing control of the situation. He didn't like that very much."

Ruth walked over to the other side of the room, still searching for the water. "He's randomly picking people out just to terrorize them and," she tried to open a door but it was locked, "the way that he shot Tasha was just—"

"They're waiting for the vault to open," Cyrus interrupted her tirade. "In the meantime, he's got nothing else to do but threaten the police and amuse himself by messing with the hostages." Ruth opened up a cabinet, but closed it again when she didn't see any water. "Do not antagonize the man more than you already have." She walked back over to him. "Don't draw his attention, just keep calm."

She sat down on the arm of the couch across from him. "I can't help it! I'm so scared I can't think straight."

"Just don't show it," Cyrus instructed her, "You have to stay calm, you have to stay smart," Ruth took a deep breath, resting her hands on her legs and feeling a little be better. "You have to look for a way out of here, okay?"

Ruth nodded slowly. "Yeah." She took another shaky breath.

"If you have a big reaction," he warned her, "you're giving that psycho what he wants."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You need to ligate it with the fishing line," Jesse instructed them over the phone, "Jess, hold the artery closed. Nicholas, you have to tie off the bleed, but make sure you don't make another tear in the artery."

Nicholas looked at the phone. "You said tie off the bleed?"

"Yes," Jesse repeated, "Just like suturing class, tie the knot the exact same way." Nicholas got to work on it. "Jess, you have to make sure you hold onto that artery. Keep it closed."

"I need more suction," Nicholas said to Jess. The others still held their guns on Kara, who still remained standing.

"I'm a surgical nurse. I can help," Kara explained to Diego.

Diego stared at her. "No, it's more entertaining this way—"

"She's going to die," Kara reasoned.

Suddenly, Paul stood up to help. "Just let her—" he stopped when guns were pointed at him, as well. Suze stood up, too. "Just let one of us help her," Paul replied.

"Mmmm," Diego contemplated, "I'll keep that in mind."

"I just want—" Kara started to say.

"C'mon, please," Suze pleaded.

Just then, Adam stood up to help get Diego to allow Kara to help with the surgery. Diego turned to him, chuckling, "Oh, you too." He continued laughing when Mike stood up next. "Wow, a room full of heros," his gun was still aimed at Paul, and he turned to look at Nicholas and Jess then turned back, "Anyone else want to volunteer to get shot? Any takers? Mmm?" Diego moved his gun around the room.

"You'll have to shoot one of us, 'cause we're not just going to stand around and watch Tasha die," Paul told him. "Let us help her."

"Now would be a really good time for you to help," Jess spoke up, with the phone balancing on her shoulder.

Diego pulled his gun back toward himself, and looked at Kara. "I'll allow it," then he looked back at Jess, "For a price to be named later."

Jess glared at him. "Fine," she hissed and went back to work. Kara rushed over to them.

Diego addressed the four still standing. "And the rest of you, sit down. There'll be more than enough time for empty gestures of bravery as the night wears on. Sit."

Kara had squeezed in between Nicholas and Jess. "Alright, hold it open, I can't see what I'm doing." The doctor and nurse continued their work. Kara's mouth opened a little at what she just accomplished. "Alright, I got it. I got it."

Diego watched on. Nicholas took the bloody towels away. "Kara is sewing the artery," Jess explained to Jesse over the phone, "What next?"

Jesse took a deep breath, everything was going smoothly now. "Okay, now just try and keep the field clean so you can see what you're doing."

Jess turned to Nicholas and Kara, "Can you guys see?"

"Not really," Kara responded, "Give me another sponge." She held her hand out, and Jess place a new one in her hand.

"I think we're alright," Nicholas then replied, "The main bleed has stopped."

Jess breathed a sigh of relief. Into the phone, "Okay, Nicholas is sewing the main bleed."

"Okay, good, good. Now, just look around and see if there's any other damage. Check the organs, see if there's any bleeding or any other tears," Jesse told her.

She once again turned to Nicholas and Kara. "He wants you to look under all the other organs, make sure there's no other bleeding," Jess recited.

Nicholas nodded. "I think we're okay."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jesse put his hand over the receiver and turned to the police behind him. "Nicholas and Kara finished the procedure. She's still alive."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Alright, start wrapping it up," Diego ordered them.

Kara and Jess both looked at him, Nicholas continued working. They looked back down again. "Now all we have to do is close up," Nicholas said. They got ready to do just that.

"Time's up," Diego replied. He walked around the couch to Jess. He took the phone from her just as Jesse was about to say something, and clicked it off, tossing it away. Diego automatically pointed his gun at Nicholas and Kara. "You're done. Back off."

Nicholas glanced up at him. "No, we're not finished. We have to close up." He went back to work.

"It's time for me to collect on the bargain I made with Miss lightening girl," Diego walked back to the back of the couch, pointing his gun at them. Jess stared at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is Jessica okay?" Cyrus asked, knowing that Jess could have gotten herself into some kind of trouble.

Ruth sniffled, then nodded. "Yeah, she seems to be."

"You need to tell me the truth," Cyrus replied.

Ruth sighed, "Jess got mad and said that Tasha needed a doctor." Cyrus nodded. "And then, One said that she was the one that was going to have to save Tasha and she could only pick one other person to help."

"Jessica will do whatever she can to save Tasha," Cyrus reassured.

"I'm sure she'll try, but Jess was trying not to freak out when I left, so..." Ruth said.

"She's at her best when her back is against the wall," Cyrus said.

Ruth nodded and stood up. "Yeah, I wish I had her confidence." She walked away and leaned on the table that was in there.

"There's a thin line between confidence and reckless. Sometimes, Jessica just jumps in," Cyrus responded, "without thinking, but I do know this about her. She's strong, and she never quits on the people she cares about."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Diego continued to point his gun at Nicholas and Kara. "You, go to Paul. You go with her," he directed Nicholas and Kara. He then smiled at Jess. "And Jessica is going to finish on her own."

"This is crazy. I don't have any training," Jess snapped.

"Then, she'll die," Diego replied, "It'll be a pity after all the trouble everyone's gone through. But, you know, it's your decision not mine."

"Why are you doing this? You let them get this far, let them finish," Jess tried to reason.

"Well, you see, I have a short attention span and with hours to go, this passes time. So, if you don't want to continue playing Florence Nightingale, that's fine by me. I have plenty of hostages left and Tasha has more than served her purpose..." Diego was saying.

"I can close up. I just need a few minutes," Nicholas put out.

"It's Jessica or nobody," Diego said, getting impatient. "You're doing it alone, darling. And the first person who calls out advice or encouragement, gets a bullet in the head."

Jess couldn't take it anymore. "You only want me to do this, because you think it's going to be fun watching me mess up."

Diego turned back to her, "Well, you may surprise me. For Tasha's sake, I hope you do."

"You don't think I can do this," Jess glared at him. Diego just smiled at her. "Watch me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jesse stared at the hotel. The surgery wasn't even finished and the leader just hung up the phone just like that. He didn't know how much longer he could take if Susannah didn't get out of there soon. D.A. Manning walked up to Jesse. "Did you hear any of the other hostages in the background?" he asked.

Jesse was getting tired of this. He pushed his hands into the pockets of his scrubs pants. "No, I was a little busy coaching a doctor through a procedure he's never done before," he replied.

"I understand, Dr de Silva, but there are other people in there. I need to know the conditions of—" Jake tried to explain.

"Yeah, well, you know what, Jake, there was only one that was shot and seriously wounded—"

"There may be other people in there who are injured!—" Jake was getting impatient.

"Look, I have an obligation to save Tasha's life. That's the only thing I was thinking about," Jesse replied.

"Is she going to make it?" Commissioner Williams, who was standing nearby, questioned.

Jesse turned to him. "Nicholas said he was able to tie off the artery. If that holds and she stops bleeding, she should be okay," Jesse explained.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jess slowly and carefully sewed the wound up with the needle and thread. She was afraid she was going to mess up, but she didn't show it. She didn't want to give that freak the satisfaction. Jess looked down at Tasha's unconscious form and knew she had to save her. She didn't know what her brother would do if Tasha died.

Suddenly, Jess pricked herself and the little mistake caused her to drop the needle. Nicholas automatically stood up to go help her, but Kara put a hand on his arm to stop him. "Nicholas, don't," Kara whispered to him.

Diego had pointed his gun at him, but didn't say anything.

"I hate this, I hate this, I hate this," Jess muttered. Diego continued to watch her in amusement. "Do you want me to bandage her up, too?" she threw the question at him.

Diego cocked his head to the side. "Well, you held your side of the bargain," he replied. He turned to where Nicholas and Kara were. "You," then he turned to where Paul and Suze were, "and you." Diego pulled Suze up by her arm. She pushed at his arm, but Diego just held on tighter. "Put some bandages on." He walked over to Jess, along with Kara and Suze.

He pointed the gun at Jess. "It's time to get your reward."

"What are you talking about?" she dared to ask, staring at him.

"You'll see," Diego simply said. He went around, and pulled Jess up.

"I can help with Tasha," Nicholas volunteered.

"No," Diego rejected and pushing Jess out of the room, "Not anyone but those two. You stay where you are." They left the room.

Suze knelt down next to Kara beside Tasha. Kara had her fingers on Tasha's wrist. "Her pulse is getting stronger," she observed, "Wow, Jess did a good job."

"What do we do?" Suze asked.

"We need duct tape," Kara replied. She reached over and took the bottle of alcohol, pouring it over her rubber gloves to sterilize them. She rubbed her hands together. "Her stomach has to stay closed, that's all we've got." She picked up a towel to move it, but stopped when she saw the paring knife lying underneath.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I promised you a reward, here it is," Diego said as he pulled Jess down a hallway and stopped in front of a door.

"Get off me!" Jess told him, trying to get out of his grip.

"Come here," Diego put his arm around her waist to keep good grip on her as he pulled her into the room. "Get in there!" Jess stopped and stared at Dr Krantz sitting there with the bruise on the side of his face.

"Are you okay?" Jess whispered to him.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Cyrus reassured her, but he was staring at Diego.

"You can't work up any more enthusiasm than that?" Diego questioned her, "I was hoping to find significantly more entertainment value with this reunion. Ah, well, life is full of bitter disappointments." He walked over to Ruth. "Let's give them some privacy, darling. C'mon." He took her by the arm.

"Where are you taking me!" Ruth cried as she let Diego pull her along.

"Back to the lobby," he told her, "Unless you have a better idea." Diego pushed her out the door and closed the door behind him.

Jess moved over to Dr Krantz. "Are you hurt?" She sat down on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little banged up, my ribs are little sore, but nothing serious," Cyrus said, trying to sit up.

"Let me see," Jess stood up and looked behind him. She saw that his hands were handcuffed, not tied with rope. She sighed and straightened up again. "Handcuffs," she ran her hands through her hair, "I mean, if it were rope, I could do something, but I can't do anything with handcuffs." Jess walked away, a little agitated.

"It's okay," Cyrus said, trying to calm her down.

Jess whipped back around. "No, it's not okay!" she snapped, "It's not okay, I can't do anything to save you with handcuffs anymore than I can clamp an artery! It was awful. Tasha's blood was everywhere, it was so out of control," she put her hands up over her eyes, "And if anything happens to her, everyone's going to blame me if she dies!"

"Jessica, you really need to take a deep breath," Cyrus advised her, "Listen to me, okay. You did good, no one's going to blame you for anything."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Suze and Kara finished bandaging the wound. Kara gathered up the towels and other bloody things, and brought to the side of the couch. "Let's wrap this stuff up in a sheet," she suggested. Suze went to her and started gathering the stuff all together. Kara held the knife in her hand. Suze stopped, looked at, and then looked up at Kara. She just nodded. Suze slipped the knife out of Kara's hand. "Can I throw away these used supplies?" Kara asked the other men.

"I'll do it," Suze volunteered. The men gave her permission to throw them out. She picked the sheet up, and went to the trash can. Kara watched her, wondering if she was right to give the knife to Suze.

Just as Suze came back to Kara, Diego came back into the room with Ruth. Seeing the girls standing up away from the spot he had put them, he pointed his gun at them, "I told you to stay put."

"I was just cleaning up," Suze explained.

"So I see, very efficient," Diego responded. He turned to the rest of the hostages. "I think we're ready for another round of musical hostages again, don't you think?" He took Ruth's arm again. "Ruth, you go with Kara to tend to Tasha. Susannah, Adam. And Mike," Diego walked over to him, who was getting up, and pushed him over, "is going to spend some quality time in front of the entrance...so if a sniper tries to hit one of my men, it may hit you instead." He walked away, putting Nicholas over with Paul as he walked.

Ruth and Kara moved over to Tasha. Suze made her way over to Adam, who was sitting by the door. She sat down slowly, and when she was seated, she kept her hand over the knife so no one would see it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How's Tasha?" Cyrus asked to break the silence.

"She was still alive when they brought me here," Jess explained to him.

"You said something about stitching her up?" he questioned.

Jess shook her head, trying not to relive that moment. "It was awful. That son of a bitch made me do it by myself," she whispered. "No Kara, and no...Nicholas. It was just me and that needle and thread sewing human flesh, and there was blood everywhere. I just wanted to throw up, then run across the room and punch him in the face."

"Jessica, Jessica," He didn't continue until she looked up at him, "You got through it."

"Only because I know if I let Tasha die, everyone would blame me for it!" Jess exasperated.

Jess sighed. "We're all going to make it out of this," Cyrus tried to calm her down, "You understand?" She nodded slightly. "Can you find a paperclip, now?" he asked her, "Get these handcuffs off me?"

She nodded and got up, starting to look for the paperclip. Jess opened a cabinet, but slammed it closed when she didn't see anything. Throwing her arms up, "They cleared everything out of here!" She opened another cabinet, so sure that she wasn't going to find anything, then closed it again. Jess looked on top of it and stopped. She picked it up. "I got it," she held it and walked back over to him, "Alright, what do we do now?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jesse stood with his arms crossed, looking at the hotel. He glanced to the side and saw a couple officers leave Tom, the commissioner. Jesse turned around, walking over to him. "Tom, you have news on the hostages?" he asked.

"They sealed up the lobby," Tom told him, "The ring leader has stopped picking up the phone."

Jesse nodded. That wasn't the news he wanted to hear. "So there's no news on Tasha?"

"No, not yet, but we're still trying," Tom replied.

Jesse turned to look at him. "Thanks for letting me stick around here. I appreciate it," he thanked him.

"Yeah, well, anyone who wants to be here, should be here," Tom smiled at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kara kneeled next to the couch, her hands folded next to Tasha's body and looking down at her. Ruth leaned onto the couch next to the nurse. "Tasha looks so pale," Ruth sighed, "She's barely breathing."

"She had an arterial bleed. She needs a transfusion, she's not going to get one," Kara said not taking her eyes off of her patient.

Ruth looked up at her. "Kara, you should get rest. You look exhausted."

"I'm okay," Kara replied.

"I'm not a medical expert, but I can take her pulse and I can check her breathing, and I will let you know if something changes," Ruth suggested.

Kara didn't relent. "I'm not that tired," she shook her head.

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Jess leaned over the chair, trying to get the handcuffs off of Dr Krantz. She had the paperclip in the lock and she was wriggling it around. "Wiggle the paperclip around," Cyrus advised her.

"I am wiggling it, Dr Krantz, it's just...just... useless," Jess began to give up.

Cyrus didn't let her. "Okay, it's...right there, yeah, just keep going," he encouraged her. Jess sighed and kept trying.

She sighed again when nothing happened. She got up and moved to the back of the chair to try again. "This is Rob's fault," Cyrus turned his head slightly, not sure what she was talking about, "I have asked him so many times to show me how to pick a lock on handcuffs and he never would."

"Focus," Cyrus told her, "Just do—"

"I am focusing, okay, I am trying," Jess interrupted him. They were silent for a minute as Jess tried to get the handcuffs off. Then, she had to know something, "Why would they do this to you?"

He was waiting for this. "He wants the hostages panicked," Cyrus explained to her, "So, he felt like I was being the leader so he wanted to take me out of the equation."

"That doesn't make any sense," Jess replied, "Why not kill you?"

"Because, if his exit plan doesn't work and something goes wrong, he needs me to get away," Cyrus said.

"Is that what he told you?" Jess continued to question.

"I don't need—It doesn't matter, because I know the guy, I can read him," Cyrus told her.

"Got it!" Jess exclaimed, taking her by surprise. She threw her arms up in relief. Cyrus stood up from the seat now that he wasn't handcuffed anymore. "How about that? I bet you good old number one didn't plan on you getting out of those handcuffs," Jess said.

"His first mistake was underestimating you," Cyrus told her.

"What are we going to do now?" Jess asked him.

Cyrus was holding his wrist that was still sore from the handcuffs, looking down at it. "We're going to wait til they come back," he answered.

Jess stared at him, her hands out to the sides. "What do you mean we're going to wait until they come back? We need to sneak out of here and attack whoever is coming to get us," she contradicted.

"We better take advantage of what they don't know. I'm going to make them think I'm still handcuffed," Cyrus explained, walking past her back to the chair he had been sitting in.

"Dr Krantz, my way is faster," Jess argued.

"No, no, Jessica, listen to me," he sat down in the chair, "You are not going to sneak up on them, and you're going to promise me that when I tell you to go, you're going to go."

Jess stood with her hands on her hips. "I am not going to leave you behind! Do you hear me?"

"I can do this a lot better without having to worry about you," Cyrus argued with her.

"Listen to you!" Jess exclaimed, "You might need me, okay? I can break a lamp over their heads, you might need my help!"

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Diego walked around, watching his hostages silently. He walked past Paul and Nicholas sitting on the bench. He walked over to the door and stood in front of Mike. "You have been a good target," Diego approved, "Very good." Mike just stared at him as he turned around to Suze sitting next to Adam on the floor. Diego turned and walked away.

Suze leaned into Adam. "Do you know how to use a knife to fight?" Adam snapped his head up and looked at her. Suze continued, "What about to kill?"

"Suze, whatever you're planning, forget it, okay?" Adam ordered her.

She fumbled with the knife in her hand behind her back. "I'm sorry, but someone has to do something," Suze replied. Adam stared at her.

Diego was at the couch now. "How is she?" he asked Kara and Ruth.

Ruth looked down at Tasha, and Kara dragged her eyes away from Tasha up to Diego. "Her pulse is steady," Kara responded.

Diego nodded. "Mmm,...so she's going to live?"

Kara looked back down at Tasha, "It's too soon to tell."

Diego walked away.

"Doug." It was quiet, but they still heard it. Kara sat up, alertly, watching Tasha for any sign that she was waking up. Suddenly, Tasha shot up and screamed in pain. Kara immediately took her shoulders, and moved her back down on the couch.

Tasha's painful screams didn't stop. Diego turned around to see what was happening. He just stood there with a slight smile on his face as Kara and Ruth tried to soothe Tasha.

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Well, what did you think? If you want more, all you have to do is review.


	8. Seven hours earlier

**Chapter Seven**

**Seven hours earlier, 10p.m.**

Rob sat at the table in the interrogation room, alone. He couldn't take just sitting here when Jess was fighting for her life at the Sterling Star. For all he knew, the ring leader could have shot her or something worse. Rob slammed his hands down on the table, and stood up. He ran his hand through his hair, blowing out an exasperated sigh.

Suddenly, the door opened. He turned around to see his mother walk in. He didn't know how she could have gotten here so fast, but he didn't care. "It's about damn time," Rob replied.

"Is that anyway to talk to your mother?" She smiled at him sympathetically, knowing his situation.

"C'mon, mom, I'm working against the clock here," Rob said, getting a little impatient, "Bail me out, let me get back to the hotel."

She shook her head at him. "I'm sorry, I don't think so."

"What do you mean you don't think so?!" Rob just about shouted. "Jess' life is on the line."

"Which is exactly why you are staying here," she told him.

Rob stared at her.

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Mostly everyone was quiet, except for the occasional footsteps from the men walking around and for Tasha. She was taking deep, shallow breaths. "What happened?" the terror could be heard in her voice.

"You were shot," Kara told her.

Tasha let a terrified whine, "How?"

"Those creeps were just using you as an example," Ruth answered. She stroked Tasha's hair to try and calm her.

She tried to sit up again, but she fell back onto the couch, screaming as pain shot through her again. "No, no, no," Kara whispered to her as she and Ruth kept her down, "Lay down, please, don't move." She still moaned in pain. "Don't move or you'll tear your sutures, okay?" Diego still watched the situation.

Tasha let out another whine. "How bad is it?" she wanted to know.

Kara and Ruth looked at each other. Kara looked back at Tasha. "Well, the bullet hit an artery. If it weren't for a doctor on the outside, you would have been dead," Kara explained.

"Douglas?" Tasha questioned, "Is he here? Where is he?"

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Jesse stood up from the step he was sitting, and walked over to Jake. "Call again," he instructed the district attorney.

"They're not picking up," Jake informed him.

"Then, keep calling until they do," Jesse demanded.

Jake looked at him. "Okay, I get that you're concerned, but these things take time." He began to walk away, but Jesse put his hand out and stopped him.

"Look, time is the one thing those hostages don't have," Jesse replied.

Jake continued to walk away.

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Suze gripped the knife in her hand. She turned to Adam sitting next to her. "It's the knife they used on Tasha...Take it." She turned her head forward to make sure Diego didn't see her.

"I can't," Adam told her.

Suze turned to look at him again. "You can't? I thought you wanted to get CeeCee out of here." She glared at him, once again turning to see if Diego saw her or not.

Adam shook his head, "Not like this."

She was getting impatient with him. "_This_ way you might actually help her. Take. The. Knife. And use it." Suze stared at him hard.

He stared back at her. "Give it to me."

"What are you two muttering about?" Diego asked walked up to them, standing next to Suze. They both turned to face forward. They didn't say anything. He moved to stand in front of Suze. "You care to tell me what's going on?" She looked up at him.

Suze gripped the knife tighter. "You're going to have to move me, because I can't sit next to this freak anymore," she replied, glancing at Adam apologetically.

Diego knelt down to her eye level. "And why is that?" He looked at Adam. "Was there something you said?"

Adam looked at him for a brief second, then looked back down. He shook his head.

"Interesting," Diego nodded as he stood back up. He looked down at Suze. "So, you never said anything to her to make her want to move? Mmmm." Diego moved behind her and knelt back down. He began stroking her hair. Suze flinched, and gritted her teeth.

Nicholas spoke up. "Would you mind if I checked on Tasha?"

Diego continued to touch Suze. "You can trade places with Ruth," he instructed him, "She gets restless if she stays in one place for too long." The men came over to bring Nicholas to Tasha and Ruth to Paul.

Tasha watched him as he found the place on her neck and took her pulse. "Hey, you gave us quite a scare. How are you feeling?" Nicholas asked her, soothingly.

"Well,...tight like my stomach is being pulled," Tasha answered.

"That's probably just the duct tape," Kara suggested. "We had to use it to hold the stitches together."

Tasha nodded, swallowing. "Did you get the bullet out?"

Kara shook her head. "No, but we did repair the artery."

"With a lot of help from Jess," Nicholas added.

Tasha laughed at little bit. "Jess?"

Nicholas and Kara smiled with her and nodded. "We couldn't have done it without her, or Jesse."

"He's the real reason you're still alive," Kara put in.

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Jesse walked back up to Jake, who was talking with another officer. "Make him a deal." The officer walked away. Jake turned to face the hotel with a sigh. Jesse kept pushing, "Offer the ring leader a suspended sentence in exchange for the hostages."

Jake held a hand out to him. "Jesse, this guy doesn't want to make a deal. If he did, we would have been able to negotiate with him hours ago," Jake argued.

"Ok, so you're just going to stand here," Jesse commented, "You're just going to stand here and let him dictate whether Susannah lives or dies!—"

"There are a dozen other hostages in there! I have to think about their welfare as well!" Jake yelled back at him. Jesse stared, taken aback. "We cannot make a move until he does." He walked away after that, leaving Jesse standing there.

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"Let the police handle this," Mary replied walking up to her son.

"You don't understand," Rob argued, "Jess is trapped in that hotel, and she's pregnant."

His mother's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"Yeah," Rob nodded, "so now you know why I have to get her out of there. So, forget it, mom, I'm not going to just sit here. Get out there and pay my bail. Otherwise I have to waste my time busting out of this place."

Mary sighed. "Okay, I'll get you released."

"Good," Rob went over and hugged his mother, "Thank you."

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(**A/N:** I don't want to confuse anybody more, but I'm taking CeeCee out of the vault and putting in Lena, the desk clerk. There's something I need CeeCee for. Sorry for any confusion.)

Diego continued playing with Suze's hair. "Some can't resist the lure of a beautiful woman," he spoke to Adam, "Are you sure you're not tempted?"

Adam didn't turn to look at him. "No," he was watching CeeCee, "I'm too busy worrying about someone else."

Diego went back to speaking to Suze. "I'm afraid I'm going to have deny your request to change partners. I think you might be able to benefit from the young man's wisdom." He stood back up, and then, suddenly, kicked Adam in the shoulder.

He walked away, over to Paul and Ruth. "You, on your feet," Diego pointed his gun at Paul. "Time to pitch in for the cause."

"Whose cause would that be?" Paul asked, standing up.

"Oh, you'll have to wait and see," Diego smiled at him. He took Paul's arm and began to push him forward when Ruth stood up.

"Leave him alone," she said. Paul tried to get her to stop, but it was no luck. "Why don't you forget about the repeats before someone kills you like you deserve."

Diego pointed his gun, "Will you sit down and shut up before I put a bullet through that pretty little head of yours." Ruth reluctantly did what he said. "Thank you, good girl." Diego took Paul's arm again and began leading him away, "C'mon."

Tasha was taking shallow, frantic breaths. Kara looked at the other men. "Can we please get Tasha something for the pain?" she asked them, "I don't how much more of this she can take."

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Diego pushed Paul down the hall. "Where are you taking me?" Paul questioned.

"Lightning girl's brother is having some difficulty with his injury," Diego explained, letting go of Paul's arm, "I thought you could take his mind off of it. Maybe you tell him what's going on between you and Miss Susannah. Does de Silva know what you're doing with his little girlfriend? Well, maybe she takes turns with the two of you, one in daytime and one in—" He didn't get to finish, because Paul grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.

"Don't even say her name, you understand?" Paul warned him, just as Two came up and pointed her gun at Paul.

"I would take a step back if I were you," Diego replied confidently. Paul slowly took his hands away as both guns were pointed at him. "This is your last warning. Keep that temper under control. There won't be anything left for Nicholas to stitch back together. Get in." Diego took Paul's arm and pushed him to the room.

Paul opened the door, and Diego pulled it closed behind him. Paul looked down at Douglas lying on the couch. "Doug."

"How's Tasha?" was the first thing out of Douglas' mouth.

"Uh, Nicholas was able to repair the artery and stop the bleeding," Paul told him.

Douglas stared at him. "With what?"

"Just some items that we collected around the hotel," Paul said. "Jesse de Silva talked him through the operation, Nicholas is with her now."

"Will you do me a favor?" Douglas asked him.

"Yeah, of course," Paul agreed.

"Will you tell my wife that I love her?"

"You can tell her yourself," Paul replied, "when we all get out of here."

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"Tasha, hey, look at me," Kara spoke soothingly to her. Tasha was trying but failing to ignore the pain. She cried and whimpered. Nicholas pressed a damp towel to her forehead to cool her off. Tasha glanced at Kara. "I know it hurts, but you really need to ly still."

Tasha shook her head. "I can't," she cried.

"Yes, you can," Kara prompted her.

"Just keep breathing," Nicholas added, "light, even breaths."

"I-I c-ca--Ahhhhh!" Tasha screamed.

One of the men came over to them. "Shut her up," he ordered them.

"How? She needs morphine," Nicholas snapped at the man.

"Does this look like a pharmacy to you?" the man replied.

Kara stood up slowly. "Uh, in th-the hotel, th-there's a, um, gift shop with medication. Can I please go get some?" she asked.

"Aspirin, and a few antacids are not going to help her out," the man declined, "Sit down." Kara slowly did as she was told.

However, Ruth wasn't taking it. "No, no, but alcohol will," she said jumping a little when the man turned to look at her. She pointed to a drink cart. "There's a bottle right over there. If you want her to be quiet, you need to get her drunk. Trust me, it will take the edge off."

"Fine, make it quick," the man relented.

Ruth went over and got the alcohol from the cart. She brought it over, and handed it to Kara. "She's lost a lot of blood, alcohol's going to dehydrate her," Nicholas warned as Kara began opening it.

"I'm being held together by duct tape. I think I should just take my chances," Tasha replied. Nicholas held her head up a little bit so that Kara could help Tasha take a sip of the drink.

Kara took the bottle away. "Okay?"

"How's the pain?" Nicholas asked.

"Um,...I pretty much loss all feeling, so either the vodka is working or my body is shutting down," Tasha replied. Nicholas and Kara didn't say anything. Tasha continued, "Listen, if I don't make it out of here, I want—"

"Don't–don't talk like that," Kara interrupted her, "Nothing is going to happen to you."

"I'm not a doctor, but I know that I lost a lot of blood and that can't be good," Tasha said.

"We are not going to let you die," Nicholas insisted.

"I don't want you to blame yourselves," Tasha admitted. "You pulled off a miracle."

"Yeah, and miracles don't come around that often," Nicholas replied, "So don't waste the time you have thinking about how this all going to end."

"You're right," Tasha whispered, "I should be thinking of more important things. Like my husband."

"These men are armed with guns," Adam whispered to Suze, "What do you think you're going to do with that knife?"

"I don't know," Suze whispered bitterly, "but I'm not going to sit around and wait for them to kill us."

"We don't even know which one of them has the detonator," Adam reminded her, "If you attack the wrong one, the others are going to explode the lobby."

Suze hesitated for a minute. "Well, you know, no one's ever saved themselves by giving in to fear...you survive by fighting back." She took a deep breath. "That's exactly what I'm going to do."

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Paul pulled a blanket up on Douglas so that he was more comfortable. "Does that help?" he asked him, still messing with the blanket.

"What would help is seeing my wife. Seeing for myself that she's actually going to be okay," Doug answered.

"You'll see her soon," Paul replied, "When we all get out of here."

"You don't understand. I need to be with her," Doug argued, "She's probably scared and upset. I need to be there to hold her and tell her that everything is going to be okay."

Paul sat down on the arm of the couch. "You think I don't want to be out there right now. But we can't do anything crazy. We have to wait until the police get a handle on this or, I guess, until... the vault opens," he said.

Doug stared at him coldly. "What if we're all dead by then?"

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Jess and Dr Krantz jumped as they heard the doorknob turning on the other side. Cyrus quickly put his arms behind his back to pretend that he was still handcuffed. They both looked at the door as a one the men came in wielding a gun. "Let's go," the man briefly said.

"Where?" Jess questioned him.

"For a walk," the man briefly said again.

Jess looked back at Cyrus, and then got up to go with the man. "My wrist," Cyrus mock-complained.

The man stalked more into the room. He made his way past Jess over to check out Cyrus. The man pointed his gun at Jess, "Don't move." He turned to look at Dr Krantz again.

Jess took a step forward, then pretended to fall. "Ow!" she faked.

"What's wrong?" the man looked at her.

Cyrus took his chance. He got up from the couch, and grabbed the man's arm to take the gun. They struggled. Jess came up from behind, punching him in the back. The man fell to the floor. They stared at the fallen man for a second. Cyrus leaned on the couch, wincing in pain from his ribs. "Give me the gun," he told Jess as he tried to get past the pain.

Jess moved over slowly to get it, and handed it to him. Cyrus kept the gun trained on the man as he backed to the door. He got to the door, going slow to make sure no one was coming. After checking the hallway, he came back in to plan their next move.

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Jake was looking through his binoculars at the building. Just as he was lowering them, a SWAT member came over to him. "We spotted movement off the south side of the service entrance," the officer announced.

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Rob snuck behind the building quickly until he got to the service entrance. He pressed his back to wall so that no officers patrolling the grounds could see him. He looked at his watch. Thirty seconds until the locks reset and he can get inside.

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"I have a team in place," the officer continued, "We are ready to move in and intercept them at any time."

"Stand down," Jake declined.

"But, sir, we—" the officer tried to argue.

"I said stand down, captain," Jake insisted, "That's an order."

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Three. Two. One. Rob looked at door when he heard the click. He quickly moved over to the door. This was it. He reached his hand slowly, and pushed the handle down carefully, a little afraid that an alarm will go off.

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The door was opened and Nicholas was pushed inside. He walked over to Doug, Paul was standing behind the door. "How long has he been unconscious?" Nicholas asked.

"Just a few minutes," Paul answered.

"His pulse is all over the place," Nicholas observed feeling Doug's neck. "His concussion has gotten worse." He looked over his shoulder at the man keeping his gun at them. Nicholas turned back around. "There's no way they're going to let us get him out of here."

Paul walked over to the man. "Listen, this man is getting worse by the minute. If he doesn't get proper medical care, there's chance he could die," he tried to persuade.

"Well, now, makes my job a lot easier now does it," the man turned down. "One less person I have to watch." He pushed Paul out of the way. "Now, back off." The man reached for the door and closed it, leaving them in there.

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One of the men came over and pulled Kara up and away from Tasha. "Let's go move."

"No, we have—" Kara started.

"Shut your mouth and move!" the man shouted at her. He pulled her away from the couch, and then pushed her down onto the floor. The man then pulled CeeCee up from her spot on the floor roughly, dropping her on the bench next to Ruth.

As soon as she was seated, CeeCee doubled over, gripping her stomach. "Oww!" Adam immediately jumped up, but the men pushed him back down with their guns, keeping their guns on him so that he wouldn't move again.

"CeeCee, are you okay?" Ruth asked her, concerned.

She hesitated for a minute before responding, "I'm having a cramp."

"Like a labor type cramp?" Ruth questioned.

"I don't know," she tried to get past it but couldn't, "I don't know, it might just be a Braxton Hicks, but I think I'm dehydrated."

"Ok, alright, I'm going to go get you some water," Ruth told her. She got up and made her way over to the drink cart.

Two stopped her. "Sit down!"

"She needs water, okay, since none of us want her to go into labor early, I'm going to get her a drink," Ruth exclaimed motioning to CeeCee.

"Ruth, please, just come sit down, I'm fine," CeeCee assured, except that she was still wincing in pain.

Suze stood up, despite Adam grabbing her arm and the guns pointing at her. "No, no, no, it's not okay. Let Ruth get her water," she replied as she struggled with men and then they lowered her to the floor. "C'mon, nobody want to worry about babies being born in the middle of all of this! Let go!"

Two looked around. Then her eyes found Ruth. She relented, "Get her the water."

Ruth walked over to the cart to retrieve the water. She got it and began returning to CeeCee when Diego came back into the room. "Well, what's this, what's this? I leave for a few minutes and you get to serve refreshments?" He took Ruth's arm, stopping her.

"She is dehydrated, she needs a drink," Ruth argued again.

"Well, no doubt you all are a little—"

"No! She is having cramps, you psycho freak!" Ruth yelled at him, "And I'm trying to prevent her from having a baby."

Diego looked at CeeCee. "Oh, that's fascinating. You can stay off labor by drinking a few sips of water, wow."

"Dehydration causes cramps, and cramps cause labor," CeeCee explained through gritted teeth.

"She needs the water," Ruth insisted.

Diego took the water from her. "Give me that, you. You need to be taught a lesson." He looked at one of his men. "Take her in the back." The man took a hold of Ruth and dragged her away.

Everybody watched. CeeCee turned to him after watching Ruth being dragged off. "She's just scared."

Diego held up the water bottle. "Do you want the water or not?"

"Please," CeeCee whispered. Diego handed it to her. "Thank you."

Diego smiled. "It's the little courtesies that make life more bearable." He looked around at everyone. "Don't you think?" CeeCee slowly drank the water.

"How's this for courtesy?" Suze spoke up, causing everybody to look at her with curiosity. She was on her knees, glaring. "I'm going to personally thank whatever cop blows your miserable head off."

Diego began walking over to her. "Oh, will you? Attractive and mildly amusing, but you're rapidly becoming a bunch of trouble." He stopped in front of her, staring down at her.

Suze smirked, "You think I'm afraid of you?"

"Probably not, but you don't strike me of being particularly bright either," Diego replied.

"Ahhh!" CeeCee gripped her stomach again. Diego turned to look at her.

Suze snapped to action. She grabbed Diego's leg, and, caught by surprise, he fell to the floor. He tried to get away, but Suze was faster. She held onto his head and held the knife to his throat with her other hand. "End this now," she seethed, "Or you die."

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Sorry for the long wait, but how's that for a chapter. Please review.


	9. Six hours earlier

**A/N:** I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry for the long wait. I really hope it won't take that long again. Hope you all don't hate me and are still reading this story.

Enjoy.

**Chapter Eight**

**Six hours earlier, 11p.m.**

Rob slowly pushed the handle of the door down. When the door was opened a crack, he stopped and pulled his hand away. He waited a few agonizing minutes until he was sure that no alarm was triggered. Rob breathed a sigh of relief. He was good to go. The rescue was on its' way, and there was no turning back now.

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"Drop the guns! I'm going to kill him! Drop the guns!" Suze yelled at the other men, who had all aimed their guns at her when she struck. They didn't waver. The other hostages watched in shock and terror.

"They don't care, Susannah," Diego told her calmly, "We're not friends behind these masks. We're here to get what's in the vault—"

"Shut up!" Suze shouted, looking down at him, "Shut up, and tell them to do what I say now." She looked back at the other men.

"Kill me—"

"Now!"

"Kill me, and they lock you in and blow the lobby," Diego informed her. Suze looked back down at him. "They've got the detonator. I'm the only one who can contact the buyer, there is no deal without me." Looking around at her fellow hostages, Suze began to waver. Diego had his hand on the one of hers holding the knife to his neck. "So, there's no reason to get what's in the vault. They will use the explosion to cover their escape. So you see, you wouldn't just be killing me, you would be killing your fellow hostages and yourself."

Suze was definitely starting to falter now. Her grip on the knife loosened a little bit. "Drop the knife," Diego instructed her. Suze looked at Adam and then over to CeeCee, who was trying to control her breathing. "Come on," Diego coaxed her, "Drop the knife."

She started to move her hand. Diego took her hand as she let go of his head. "Drop. That. Knife," he said as he loosened her grip on the knife and whipped it from her hand. He stood up to face her, holding the knife close to her chin. "What do I do with you now?" Diego questioned her, "Hm."

"Ahh—oww!" CeeCee cried leaning forward, gripping her stomach."Ahh."

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Dr. Krantz finished tying the man up on the chair, then stood up and began walking to the door. "We have to get out of here," he said to Jess.

Jess leanedover the man to get something off his belt. "Dr Krantz—Dr Krantz, no—"

Cyrus went to grab her. "Jessica, come on." She followed him, holding a knife. "Let's move," he looked at her as they made it to the door, "What did you—"

Jess didn't answer him as she walked out the door. Cyrus closed the door, and then felt Jessica touch his arm. He looked up, and immediately pointed his gun at the man, who had walked up pulling Ruth.

"Drop your weapons or she dies!" the man warned them. He pulled Ruth over to them so that he could get closer.

"Don't listen to him, Dr Krantz," Ruth replied, "He's not going to do anything unless his boss tells him to—"

"Be quiet, Ruth," Jess instructed her best friend. "Be quiet."

"Well," the man said holding his gun on Ruth, "Do you want her to die?" Jess and Ruth both looked at Cyrus, wondering what he was going to do. Dr Krantz sighed and handed the gun over. The man reached out and grabbed it, making Jess toss the knife away. The man held both guns on the three of them, "Up against the wall. Up against the wall!"

They walked over to the wall, lining up across from the man. "We can take him, Dr Krantz. He's outnumbered," Ruth said.

"Be quiet," Cyrus told her.

The man kicked opened the door to the room Jess and Dr Krantz had been in, not turning his back on the three of them. He quickly looked to see how Four was. "Why didn't you run?" Ruth whispered to Jess. "You could have saved yourself."

"I would never leave you behind," Jess whispered back to her, "You're my best friend, I wouldn't do that to you."

"Quiet!" the man called to them. "Mr Diego will decide what happens to all of you."

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"Okay, where all they now?" Jake asked into the phone. He listened to man on the other end. "No, no, let them–let them go in, alright? Just keep me posted." Jake hung up the phone, and turned around to see Tom staring at him curiously.

"Jake, is there something going on the rest of the command should know about?" Tom asked him.

"We're in a crisis situation, Tom, or haven't you heard?" Jake retorted.

"We're supposed to be coordinating actions. You start putting procedures into effect without following the chain of command, someone's going to get killed," Tom warned him.

"Hey, call it intuition, alright. If there is some movement inside of that building, I want to make sure there is a team in place to extract the hostages at a moment's notice," Jake explained to him. He looked up, past Tom's shoulder. "MayorStevenson..."

The mayor walked up to the two men. "Why haven't you two gotten the hostages out?"

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Rob opened the door and walked in slowly, his hand on the gun at his waist.

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Diego pulled Suze over to where CeeCee was sitting. She grimaced as she felt another cramp. "You know what? I'm actually wondering if you're in pain or if you're just playing me?" He questioned the mother to be.

"I'm really cramping," CeeCee cried.

"Well, you're certainly being dramatic about it," Diego replied. He looked back down at her when she continued talking.

"This is my first pregnancy. I don't want to lose these babies."

"Can't you bring Nicholas back to examine her?" Adam spoke up, not being able to bear seeing CeeCee in pain. "I can trade places with him, if that helps."

Diego started to lead Suze away. "I'm sure you'll all think it would be lovely if I let the sweet girl walk to freedom, but thenwho would take care of Tasha while CeeCee gave birth in the parking lot?"

"It's too soon for these babies to be born," CeeCee whimpered.

"Then, I suggest you calm down, think happy thoughts, and meditate on your navel," Diego warned her, "because if you continue this way, you and your babies will die tonight, okay? Good, thank you." He began walking Suze away again.

At that time, Jess, Ruth, and Dr. Krantz were brought back into the room. Diego stopped and watched curiously. The rest of the hostages were also curious. The man with the three explained, "These two knocked out Four and were trying to escape."

Diego cocked his head at Jess and Cyrus. "Aww," he was shaking his head, "that's...disappointing. Ruth, you need to stay close to sweet CeeCee. Some children are thinking of making a very early appearance. Go."

Ruth moved over to sit by CeeCee. Diego pulled on Suze's arm. "Now, you and I need to have some alone time, darling. Come on," He pulled on her again and led her out of the lobby.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What about CPR?" Paul asked Nicholas, leaning forward on the back of the couch.

Nicholas sat on the edge of the couch, keeping close tabs on Doug's pulse. "No, it's not going to make his heartbeat regular," he replied. Nicholas got up from the couch, and walked away. Paul followed. "If we don't get him out of here soon," Nicholas whispered to Paul, "he's going to die."

They both turned to look at the injured man on the couch.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Why aren't you negotiating?" Mayor Stevenson question the district attorney, "We should have a constant line of communication open to the lobby..."

"We've tried that, okay?" Jake interrupted the mayor, "The ring leader just jerks us around. I don't want to play into his hands. I think if we just give him a little bit more time, then he'll have the incentive to negotiate with us."

Elliot Stevenson stared at him. "You don't have the expertise to deal with these people."

"Well, thanks for your vote of confidence, mayor, but get out of my way so I can do my job," Jake shot at him. He tried to walk away, but the mayor stopped him.

"And you are making me look ridiculous," Elliot said.

"You don't need me for that," Jake replied back.

There was a short silence. "If these people haven't started negotiating in one hour, we're sending in the tactical teams to extract the hostages by force," Elliot demanded. He walked away after that, leaving Jake to his thoughts.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The light on the briefcase continued to annoyingly blink. Lena sat on the floor with her back against the wall, looking at her captive. "What?" Three demanded of her. He was kneeling in the center of the vault, close to the briefcase.

Lena shook her head. "Nothing," she said. They both continued to stare at each other. Lena shrugged her shoulders. "Pizza," she laughed a little bit.

"What about it?" Three asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Well," Lena hesitated for a minute, and then stood up, continued, "There's this one place, I forget the name of it, but they have this delicious pizza, it's fully loaded, thin crust. I can't stop thinking about it." Three stared at her. "Wouldn't that taste great right now? Wouldn't it be great to have something, I don't know, normal? As opposed to me, sitting here with a guy in a ski mask and a blinking briefcase."

"If it's normal we're going for, put me down for a Philly cheese steak," Three spoke up.

A disgusted look came upon Lena's face. "Gross."

"Gross?" Three repeated, shocked.

"Yeah, gross," Lena explained, "All that soggy bread and fake cheese."

"No, not the kind you get at the food court at the mall," Three elaborated, "I mean an authentic Philly cheese steak from Philly. You know, where the meat is grilled and the cheese is fresh. Now that's a little piece of heaven."

Lena nodded. "Okay, I'm convinced, but you have to tell me exactly which stand in Philly has the best cheese steaks."

"I got a better idea," Three changed the subject, "Shut up and mind your own business."

Lena looked at him, stunned at the change in his attitude.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rob moved slowly and quietly through the hall so that he didn't call any attention to himself. He held his gun out in front of him for instant protection. Rob looked up for any air ducts. He knew he couldn't just walk into the lobby; he needed to know what he was up against. He continued on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nicholas and Paul watched over Douglas intently, making sure that he didn't get worse. Suddenly, the door opened, and Diego came in with Suze, with Two following behind. "Hello," he greeted, "Oh, not dead yet. Ah, the little lady and I need some privacy. Go away. Take the young man, too."

"He shouldn't be moved," Nicholas said.

"Oh, of course he should," Diego contradicted, "The exercise will do him good. Go."

Paul and Nicholas, reluctantly, helped Douglas up off the couch. They each got on either side of him, and helped him to the door. "I hope you like surprises," Diego replied. As the three passed through the doorway, Diego turned to Two, "Oh, um, check on Four in the other office before you drag the trauma club back to the lobby. Go."

Two left, closing the door behind her. Diego finally let go of Suze, pushing her further into the room. "And you, you've been nothing but trouble since you tried to escape," he addressed her. Suze slowly turned around to face him. "Come to think of it, I don't know why I didn't kill you then. Ahh, yes, I remember now," Diego pulled his gun out. "It was out of respect for," The cold metal touched her cheek, causing Suze to flinch. He ran it along the side of her face, "your decorative qualities. You're not much to talk to, but you're quite stimulating to look at."

Suze just stared at him. Diego put his gun away, and pulled her closer to him. She wanted so much to just punch him, but she knew that if she did, he would most likely shoot her. He reached a hand out, sliding one of her straps of her dress off her shoulder, then, with his other hand, he reached behind her and began unzipping the dress.

"You're a pig," Suze managed to get out.

Diego just laughed. "Look at you." He gripped her arms tighter. "You think I'm going to rape you? You expect it, don't you?" Then, surprisingly, Diego put her strap back up and pulled the zipper up. "Sorry, that's not how I operate, darling."

Suze couldn't stop the relief from washing over her face. "But you didn't know that when we came into the room, did you?" Diego continued, "You didn't protest, didn't try to run away. You figured 'why not, whatever it takes to stay alive.' You'd do anything to survive, don't you? No matter who gets left behind."

Suze stared into Diego's evil, smiling eyes. "That is not true," she whispered.

Diego's eyebrows just rose, doubting her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, aren't you supposed to, um, do something with your breathing, like panting or something?" Ruth tried to help CeeCee calm down and not go into labor.

CeeCee was leaning forward, her hand on her belly. "It's okay, they're easing up," she replied, her breathing a little bit calmer now.

--

"Jess?" Kara called from her spot on the floor. "Is Tasha breathing?"

Jess looked over at Tasha's unconscious form. "Yes," she answered the nurse.

"Is it strong?" Kara asked again. "Is it regular?"

"I don't know," Jess went to check out Tasha's breathing, but she stopped when she felt an automatic weapon against her. She glared at the man. He wasn't allowing her to move. Jess looked apologetically at Kara. "I can't tell."

CeeCee gasped, and leaned forward again, "Ow." Ruth immediately tended to her.

"CeeCee, you might need water," Jess told her. "You could just be dehydrated." She looked back at the man with the gun, "Can I get her some—" She stopped and closed her eyes in frustration when the man just pointed his gun at her.

Dr Krantz turned around. "It's not complicated. We need some water."

"We already tried that," the man responded, "It didn't work."

Just then, Two brought Paul, Doug, and Nicholas back into the room. All of the hostages turned to look, surprised that Doug was being brought out of that room. Paul and Nicholas maneuvered Doug to a clear spot on the floor, and gave him a soft pillow to lay his injured head on. Doug was in so much pain that he didn't even notice his wife lying on the couch when they passed.

"We're going to make you comfortable, okay, Doug," Nicholas reassured, pulling a blanket over him. He looked up at Jess and Dr Krantz. "How's Tasha?"

"She's either passed out or asleep," Jess answered.

"CeeCee is having pains," Ruth called out to Nicholas.

"Labor?" Nicholas questioned, fixing the blanket.

"I don't know," CeeCee gasped.

Nicholas started to get up to check CeeCee out. "Nobody move," Two stopped him.

"Your boss is off with Susannah. You think he's going to stick with the plan," Dr Krantz said. Two walked over to him. "You're all going to get the death penalty, while your fearless leader is off somewhere partying." Two was getting angry. "Now why don't you save the good mother to be's life? You may get some leniency." The man behind Cyrus made a move to hit Cyrus in the back with his gun.

"Hold it," Two said. Dr Krantz just looked over his shoulder calmly. She looked like she was going to give in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You know, I don't care how bad the press is, I'm not risking the hostages," Jake walked up to Mayor Stevenson.

"Then, why have the SWAT team here ready to storm the building?" Elliot retorted, "And what makes you think this isn't a robbery gone wrong?"

"They have made no demands, alright?" Jake expressed, "If they were in it for the money, they would have negotiated for the hostages long ago. What do you want me to do with the SWAT team? You want me to send them home? We have to be ready for whenever the opportunity presents itself."

"You're in way over your head, Manning," Elliot replied. "Just for the record, if this goes badly, I'm not the only one who's going to get screwed. You can kiss your career goodbye—"

"Well, right now, I'm worried about hostages, mayor," Jake interrupted, "My career can wait."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Diego leaned in closer to her. "Self-preservation is the most basic and entertaining of instincts." He grinned at her.

"You don't know anything about me," Suze hissed at him. She stared at him with cold, hateful eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest.

Diego's grin disappeared, and his eyes became hooded. "I'd lose that tone if I were you. You don't want something to 'accidentally' happen to you...or to that boyfriend of yours," he threatened.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rob came around a corner stealthily, gun drawn. He quickly walked to an office door. _There should be an open access port to the air duct system in here, _he thought to himself. Rob opened the door slowly and kept his gun drawn just in case there were some men with hostages in there. He got inside, saw that the room was empty, and closed the door behind him.

He caught sight of the air duct on the wall, and walked over to it. Looking back down, Rob took a deep breath, but when he look down, he saw something on the carpet by the couch. He moved closer, and knelt down to get a closer look. It was spots of blood. "Somebody got worked over pretty good," Rob said to himself, "They were in this room. Shit, they could come back any time."

He has to get into the air duct now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Before Two could make a decision, Diego came back into the lobby, pushing Suze. He stopped Nicholas from going over to check on CeeCee. "Let me make this clear," Diego announced to everybody, "I get to decide who lives or dies. You people are getting way to comfortable. It's time to change partners."

Diego pointed to Suze. "Susannah, you get to sit in angel corner for a while. Maybe your life will flash in front of your eyes and you'll reconsider your wicked ways." Suze went over and sat next to Ruth and CeeCee. Diego turned to Jess and Dr Krantz, "You two can provide our hot patient with aid and comfort. Dr Nicholas and hot headed young Paul can take a break over in the corner. Go!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jake walked up to the mayor and the commissioner, carrying the phone. "The ring leader is prepared to release a pregnant hostage," he told them, after having got off phone with the leader.

The commissioner looked at him. "What about the gunshot victim, Tasha Mastriani?" he wondered.

"I'm sorry, Tom. I had to take what I could get," Jake answered.

"Now you're pandering to a felon," Elliot retorted, "What did you have to promise him?"

Jake hesitated for a minute, then responded with, "He's prepared to make a list of demands."

Elliot's eyes narrowed at the district attorney. "And we're supposed to comply?–"

"With all due respect, they release a hostage now it will be something of a miracle," Tom interrupted, "As police commissioner, I think we should let it play out."

"Yes," Jake agreed.

Not surprisingly, Elliot disagreed. "Here's a better idea: when they send out the hostage, you send in the SWAT team." He walked away after that.

Jake and Tom looked at each other, not sure if they should agree with the mayor or not.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, things are getting very interesting," Diego replied from in front of the reception desk. He began walking away from it. "I have an offer from Mr Manning. He thinks I should release," he looked down at CeeCee sitting on the floor, "sweet CeeCee here, simply because she's in labor, but wouldn't you know it, I forgot to tell him that young Douglas here has a serious head injury." Diego shook his head in sympathy, "Our friends are dropping like flies." He pointed his gun at Nicholas, who was standing up.

"If anybody should be released, it's Tasha," Nicholas said, "Her pulse is weak, she's unconscious, she's still critical."

"Tasha's not an option," Diego declined, "She's provided us with hours of entertainment, and, you know, to just simply send her away would just be rude. Besides, she's had a moment in the sun, surgery by proxy, come on. Let's give somebody else a turn, okay? CeeCee or Douglas? The mother to be or the devoted husband?"

"Oh, but wait," Diego continued, he began moving again, "before we do anything, there's something I've been meaning to do, something I've been too busy to take care of. What was it again?" He tapped the gun against his cheek, pretending to think about it. "Oh, yes," Diego lowered his gun to Cyrus' head, "kill Dr Cyrus Krantz."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rob crawled through air ducts. He stopped when he came to a turn off. He didn't know whether he should go straight or turn left. Either way could take him to the lobby or to some other place in the hotel. Rob finally decided to go left, hopefully it was the right way. He kept going until he came to a vent. He looked through it.

"Yes," Rob whispered to himself. He could see the lobby.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jake and Tom approached the mayor, determinedly. "We can't send a pregnant woman into the middle of a gun battle," Jake tried to reason with him, "There is no way you are storming that hotel."

"You'll be catching them off guard," Elliot continued to disagree. He turned to an officer, "Brief the SWAT team. Get a clear shot when that door opens to let a hostage out, you tell them to take it." Back to the D.A., "When these people start dying, they're going to realize that no amount of cash and jewels is worth their lives."

"This isn't about cash and jewels!" Jake snapped, "This guy has an agenda, and I have a very strong feeling we're going to find out what that is once the vault is open! Right now, the hostages are relatively safe, but they're not going to be unless you do something stupid to get them killed!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One of the men brought Dr Krantz into of one of the offices. "Face the wall. Put your hands up," he ordered Cyrus. He kept his gun trained on him.

"Even in third-world countries, you get a cigarette and a meeting with a priest before they execute you," Dr Krantz replied, holding a hand to his injured ribs.

"You had all night to say your prayers," the man told him.

"So, what are you going to do?" Cyrus questioned the man, who was aiming the gun, "Blindfold me, shoot me in the back, I'm going to turn around and look at you before you kill me?"

"You're choice."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rob looked down at the sound of the ring leader's voice.

"I'm on the horns of a dilemma: a young, virtuous, attractive mother to be with her whole life in front of her or a young, handsome man with a bad headache," Diego said, "Who goes free?" He pointed his gun at Nicholas, "You decide."

Kara stood up from her spot on the floor. "No, you can't ask him to do that. He's a doctor, he can't choose between patients."

Diego looked at her. "Oh, you don't want me to shoot your boyfriend just as he's about to have some real fun." He turned back to Nicholas. "_Make_ a decision. Who leaves our little family?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N:** Did you like it? Please respond with a review. It's very easy; just click the little blue button below.


	10. Five hours earlier

**A/N:** I am so sorry for the extremely long wait. Hopefully, I still have readers and you're still interested. This chapter is definitely not like the others.

Enjoy.

**Chapter Nine**

**Five hours earlier, 12a.m.**

One of the men grabbed Suze's arm, and pulled her up and away from Ruth. Diego continued to talk. "It's time for our contestant to choose. Douglas is having bad headaches, and CeeCee appears to be in premature labor," He kept his gun trained on Nicholas, "Who. Are. You. Going. To. Save?"

"Don't do this," Kara pleaded, shaking her head with tears glistening in her eyes.

Diego nodded to one of the men behind her. The man shoved his gun into the nurse's back. Kara fell instantly, trying to catch herself on the armchair in front of her but failed and fell to the floor. Nicholas went to bend down to help her, but he was stopped by Diego's voice. "No help from the studio audience, please."He stared at Nicholas, waiting for an answer.

Nicholas finally dragged his eyes away from Kara. "I'd like to examine them so that I can—"

"Lo siento, you've run out of time," Diego interrupted him, "What is your answer?"

"Let him examine them," Two spoke up. Diego whipped around to look at her. Two smiled at him, "Isn't it more entertaining to build the suspense?"

Diego smirked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You realize you'd be killing any chance you have of getting away," Dr Krantzcontinued to try to negociate with the man holding the gun on him.

"Maybe," the man responded, "Maybe not."

"You don't see what's happening in that lobby?" Cyrus questioned him, "Mr One's big plan is falling apart. Now the vault's not going to open for hours, your boss is already starting to rattle. Even if he gets the briefcase, he's going to be so fried he's not going be able to pull off his so called exit strategy." He turned around to face the man.

"What do you care?" the man retorted, "You'll be dead." A silence fell upon them as the man took the safety off his gun.

Then, suddenly, the door opened. Diego appeared, pointing his gun and smiling.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_The situation____remains extremely tense. Police sources confirm that there has been contact with one of the gunmen inside the hotel_—" a reporter was saying on the television. Helen Ackerman snapped the television off in frustration. She couldn't take just sitting here, not doing anything. "Those fool reporters keep blabbering the same thing over and over! Why don't they tell us something new?!" she exclaimed.

"Helen, Helen, calm down," Andy tried to calm his wife down.

"Look, what do you expect me to do? I can't be calm, because my daughter is a hostage," Helen replied standing up, starting to pace.

"And there is nothing we can do about it," Andy told her, also standing up, taking hold of her arms.

"No, stop being so infuriatingly rational," Helen shook her head, "Don't you want to do something?"

"I am worried sick about Suze," Andy said.

"Listen, if they harm her even in the tiniest way—" Helen began.

"Suze is strong and resourceful. She won't let them do anything to her," Andy reassured his wife.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dougie, you need to concentrate on your breathing," Jess told her big brother, "slow and steady."

"Jess, Jess, I'm not the one in labor," Douglas replied his head to the side, "That would be CeeCee."

Nicholas came over to see if he was well enough to leave. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He put his hand on Doug's neck, checking his pulse.

"I'm managing," Doug brushed aside in his own injuries, "You need to go check on Tasha or CeeCee. They need you more than I do."

"No, you don't give orders," Nicholas declined, "You're the patient, I'm the doctor."

"CeeCee can't give birth here," Douglas argued.

"Yeah, and you should be in the hospital where you can get proper care," Nicholas interrupted him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"They've agreed to release one hostage?" Elliot repeated following Jake. They stopped by a police car. "This is our best chance to storm the lobby and get those people out—"

"May I suggest that you wait until morning before mounting an assault," Jake replied, pushing his glasses up.

Elliot just stared at him. "No, you've waited far too long already," he declined, "When those doors open, that SWAT team goes in."

Jake put his hand to his head in exasperation. "One of the hostages is a pregnant woman. Another happens to have a gunshot wound, whose barely hanging on after being operated on with a paring knife. What do you think Tasha Mastriani's chances are if you mount a direct assault on the lobby?"

"We may have to accept the fact that there may be casualties here," Elliot told him.

"Are you calling Susannah's death acceptable?" Jesse questioned after overhearing the conversation. When Elliot turned around, Jesse's fist met the mayor's jaw. Jake caught the mayor as another officer took a hold of Jesse before he could hit Elliot again. "You don't care about saving hostages!"

"That's absurd!" Elliot responded.

"The reporters have no breaking news, we're at a stalemate, and you don't like—!"

"Jesse, this isn't helping anybody," Jake tried to get Jesse to calm down.

"If it stops this moron from storming that lobby and killing Susannah, than it's doing something!" Jesse exclaimed.

"Manning is right," Elliot broke in, "Those gunmen are going to kill those hostages the second that vault is open—" Jesse tried to speak, but Elliot yelled over him, "We have to get those people out now!"

"...They are counting on you to save them, and you're not going to do anything, are you?" Jesse threw at him.

"No, you fool, this may be our only legitimate chance to save those people." Elliot took a step back, looking at the police commissioner just behind Jesse. "This man just assaulted a public official. I want him arrested right now!"

"Jesse established contact with the ring leader," Jake sided with Jesse, "I might need him, he stays."

"Commissioner Williams, would you please place Dr. de Silva under arrest?"

Tom looked at the mayor. "If Jesse hadn't had punched you, I would have myself."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Diego walked farther into the room to face Dr Krantz. "Interesting. The gun went off and you're still alive. You know why?" Cyrus didn't say anything. "You're alive, because you're potentially useful. You have money, power, and contacts, which I may use at my disposals. So, I won't kill you...yet."

He tossed another gun to his crony. "Now, secure Dr Cyrus Krantz to the chair. I'm going to check on his lovely partner in crime. Let's hope, for her sake, she'll be cooperative."

Diego began leaving the room. "Adios."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nicholas turned to Jess. "Here, take his pulse every five minutes while I go check on CeeCee," he instructed her.

"Ok, I got it," Jess nodded moving closer to her brother as Nicholas got up.

"Keep your breathing as even as you can, Doug," Nicholas said.

"Yes, doctor," Doug replied, sarcastically.

"I'll be right back."

Douglas took hold of the doctor's arm before he could go far. "Let CeeCee go."

--

Nicholas came over to CeeCee. He began checking her over. "How far apart are the contractions?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I think they were about eight minutes apart," Suze answered, looking to CeeCee for clarification.

CeeCee nodded, "Yeah."

"CeeCee, I'm worried about fetal distress and, without a fetal heart monitor, it's--"

"Nicholas, stop, ok?" CeeCee interrupted him. "The pain is getting less intense, and I'm sure it's just from stress and dehydration."

"CeeCee, you don't have to make it easier for me to choose Douglas," Nicholas replied, "It's too soon for these babies to be born, you know that as well as I do."

Just then, Diego came back into the room. "Still vacillating. Indecisiveness is such an annoying character flaw." He pointed his gun at Nicholas.

"It took him a while to examine them both," Two explained.

"Correction: it took him too long," Diego corrected.

"The harder he struggles with this, the more entertaining for you," Two continued.

"The suspense is only pleasurable up to a certain point," Diego argued, "Wrap it up, por favor."

He walked away from them. Douglas looked up at his sister, and a saw a familiar look in her eyes. The look that she was planning something. "Whatever you're thinking, stop," Douglas warned her, "You're only going to make things worse."

"Maybe not," Jess whispered, "Everyone has a weakness, Doug, and I just found out our fearless leader's." She turned to look at Two.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dr de Silva saved Tasha's life by establishing a dialogue with the ring leader. We may need him to do that again," Tom tried to convince the mayor.

"You and Manning are supposed to be trained in dealing with hostage situations. You're going to have to handle this without Dr de Silva's input. I want him out of here." Elliot turned and walked away.

Jake followed him. "Mayor Stevenson." The mayor turned to him. "If you're so interested in saving the hostages as well as your career, I respectfully choose to ignore that order."

"Good," Elliot surprised the D.A. "You're the one who's going to burn for this, Manning." He turned back around, and continued walking.

--

Jesse came up and stood next to Tom. He pushed his hands into his pockets. "You really think the ring leader's going to talk to me again, Tom?" Jesse asked.

Tom turned his head to look at the young man, his arms crossed over his chest. Then he turned to look at the building again. "Truthfully, no, but you want to be here, that's reason enough for you to stay." He walked away, leaving Jesse feeling grateful of Jake and Tom for letting him stay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"When that safe opens, your boss is going to grab whatever is inside and leave the rest of you twisting in the wind," Cyrus said from his position on the chair to the man pointing the gun at him.

"Shut up!" the man warned him.

"Why should he pay you?" Cyrus continued, "when he doesn't need you. He's the only one who can contact the buyer, remember? In a job this big, the payoff must be...incredible. You really think number one is going to share his profits?"

Suddenly, another one of the men came into the room. He spoke to the man already in there. "Hey, One wants him back in the lobby."

The man leaned down and unsecured Dr Krantz from the chair. He spoke to the other man, "Get him out of here." The other man took a hold of him and began leading him out of the room.

"What's going on?" Dr Krantz asked. As he was leaving, he caught a glimpse of gun behind a chair. He came to the realization that someone else was in the hotel. They left the room.

Just then, Rob came back down from the air duct.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You know this all could be a mind game," Jake pointed out to Tom. He kept his hands in the pockets of his coat away from the bitter cold. "They may not be intending to release any hostages at all..."

"You said they agreed," Jesse interrupted, "as a show of good faith."

"I know you're hoping they'll release Susannah, but the ring leader specifically mentioned a pregnant woman, CeeCee McTavish," Tom replied.

"If CeeCee and the baby are in distress, then they may need emergency care," Jake added.

"Yeah," Jesse reluctantly agreed in a whisper.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The man brought Dr Krantz back into the lobby, toward where Jess was sitting with her brother. "No, no, no, no," Diego spoke up, "Keep the partners in crime apart. They're wonderfully entertaining individuals, but, put them together and they're troublesome. If you keep them apart, perhaps they won't cause any discord to any members of our party." Diego pointed to the bench, "Sit." The man moved Dr Krantz over to it.

--

"Of course, I'd rather be in a hospital, but I'm not in critical condition," CeeCee told Nicholas, "Douglas is."

"What if you're really in labor?" Nicholas questioned.

"I'm not, okay?" CeeCee insisted, "I refuse to be. And if, for some reason, these babies decide to come early, it-it's going to take hours, ok? I-I'm going to be fine. We'll be out of here by then."

"Very, very noble. Bravo," Diego said right behind them, mock clapping. "You know as well as I do the girl is lying. She's only trying to make it easier for you to ignore her crisis."

CeeCee leaned over and whispered to Nicholas. "Don't listen to him, I'm—"

"If you choose CeeCee," Diego interrupted, "poor Douglas probably won't survive. If you choose him, innocent babies will be born or die right here in this lobby. This is a watershed moment! Pay attention!"

"Some fearless leader you are," Paul stood up, "Bullying everyone around just for entertainment—"

Diego swivelled around to face him, pointed his gun. "Will you just shut up!" One of the gunman pushed Paul back down. "You are such a bad example to your fellow hostages!"Diego raged.

Two put her arm on Diego's arm. "One, Nicholas has to choose. Between the dying young man and the mother to be. If you shoot another person, he'll be too distracted to choose," she tried to calm Diego down.

Diego sighed and looked at her. "That's true," he agreed. But then Diego moved his arm away from Paul and pulled the trigger. "Oops."

The bullet hit Mike in the shoulder. "Mikey," Jess immediately jumped and tried to go to her brother.

Two pointed her gun at Jess, but it was Dr Krantz who stopped her. "Hey, sit down!" he yelled at her. Jess realized what she did, and backed away reluctantly.

"Who matters most, Miss lightning girl?" Diego questioned. He pointed the gun at Dr Krantz. "Mike or Cyrus? Because if you don't sit down and shut up, I'll put a bullet in Cyrus' head right now!"

Jess stood there for a few seconds as a tense silence lay over the lobby. She finally moved back to her original spot and sat back down. "Very prudent," Diego told her, roughly. "Do you have anything else to add? You know, feel free to answer now that your temper is under control. I always find your comments very amusing."

"My brother needs medical attention," Jess replied, looking away from Diego.

"Yes, I can see that," Diego said, "But our medical personnel is running a little thin. Nurse Kara is a little injured. There's Dr Nicholas, of course, but he's a little preoccupied right now. So, who's it going to be?" Diego looked around the room.

"I think it's going to be... the priest." Suze looked up when Diego said that. She looked to where the gun was pointing. Father Dominic. With all the chaos going on, she didn't even know he was in here. "...perhaps you can give him a little spiritual comfort as poor Mike bleeds to death. Oh, on second thought–huh–Mike can't possibly bleed to death from a shoulder wound. Let's see if my aim is little more accurate." Diego pointed his gun at Mike.

"You're starting to lose it, Mr Diego," Dr Krantz stopped him, "I thought Nicholas was the one that was supposed to choose. Wasn't that going to be the big event? He chooses between two critical patients."

Diego leaned forward to be at Cyrus' eye level. "Do you enjoy gambling, Dr Cyrus Krantz? Because I can assure you, you're pushing your luck. But you do make a valid point." He stood back up and moved toward Nicholas. "Nicholas has had more than enough time to think about it. So, think about it, Nicholas."

Nicholas stood up, all eyes on him. "I've made my choice."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rob pulled the duffle bag out of the cabinet he had stashed it in, and then sat down on the couch. He pulled out his laptop. He could only see part of the lobby through the duct, he needed to go over the layout again. _I need to know every possible way to get those hostages out,_ Rob told himself.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Five came into the room, his gun poised. "Freeze!"

Rob snapped to action. He jumped off the couch, and his fist met the man's jaw. Five fell to the floor. Rob knelt down, and pulled the ski mask off. He stared at the mask, a plan forming in his head.

He stood back up, dragging the man into the room and tied him up. Rob took Five's uniform and put it on himself. He walked toward the closed door. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the mask over his head. _Time to get Jess out of there,_ Rob thought. He opened the door, and left for the lobby.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Tom! Tom?" Helen jogged up to the police commissioner. Tom turned at the sound of his name. "Look, is there any truth to that rumor that they're going to let a hostage go?"

Tom looked at the building, licked his lips, then looked back at Helen. "The ringleader appeared to be considering it, but that's the last we've heard."

Helen sighed.

"Look, why don't you just go home and wait?" Tom suggested.

"No, I can't. Really, I'm going stir-crazy," Helen declined, exasperated.

"Yeah, well, I know the feeling," Tom muttered.

"Let me put it to you like this, my daughter is being held hostage," Helen exclaimed, "You're not going to get rid of me!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Time's running out," Diego warned Nicholas, "Who's it going to be, huh?" While Diego was talking, Five, a.k.a Rob, came into the lobby. He stood near Dr Krantz. "The lovely mother to be or the devoted husband?" Everybody was watching wondering who he was going to choose. "Three, two, one. Time's up. Name the lucky winner."

Rob watched, getting annoyed with this man already.

Nicholas looked down. "Doug, I'm so sorry," he apologized to Douglas.

"Congratulations, Miss CeeCee," Diego mock-celebrated. "Better luck next time, Mr Mastriani. Oh, right–there won't be a next time." He pointed to CeeCee. "Ok, on your feet." Then pointed to Nicholas, "You sit down."

CeeCee stood up slowly as Nicholas sat down. She gripped the arm of the chair as another unbearable contraction came to her. Suze saw her struggle. "CeeCee can't do this on her own, she needs someone to lean on," Suze spoke up.

Adam immediately got to his feet. "She can lean on me. I'll take her out to the police, and then come back."

"No, I said I was going to release one hostage, not two," Diego declined.

"At least, let me help her to the door," Adam argued.

Diego sighed. "Forget it. She walks out alone or she doesn't go. And to make sure of it--eight? Get a sniper rifle and take position on the second floor window. If anyone else than CeeCee tries to run away, if the police get anxious and tries to storm the lobby even if you want to do a little target practice, fire at will."

"Got it," Eight nodded and left.

"And now that we've set the parameters," Diego continued, looking behind him at CeeCee, "Hello. It's time for you to leave, miss. Come on."

CeeCee tried to move again, but the pain stopped her. A tear escaped down her cheek. Everybody watched horrified at what Diego was making her do. Rob turned away disgusted. "I can't do it," she choked out a sob.

"It's okay, Cee, it's okay," Adam called to her, "Just take your time."

"No talking, por favor," Diego silenced.

"She needs someone to help her walk to the door!" Adam shouted.

"Well, that's too bad. She walks alone!"

"You got what you wanted! You tortured us all! Now just let her go!" Adam wasn't giving up.

Diego just stared at him calmly. "Wow, such passion. How can I refuse that?" He turned to his men. "Five?" Rob snapped to action when he realized that was him. "Take her to the door."

Rob walked to CeeCee and took her arm gently. "Come on," he whispered to her. CeeCee just barely sensed something different about this man.

Diego still stared at Adam. "Are you happy now?"

"Be careful with her," Adam replied, finally able to breath easily now that CeeCee was getting out.

"You heard him. Take it slowly," Diego repeated.

Rob walked CeeCee slowly and carefully to the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"There's movement in the second floor window," Tom called out to the rest of the force. He watched as the window opened. Tom walked over to the captain.

"Is it a hostage?" Jake asked.

"A sniper," the captain answered, "I can see the rifle."

"Get your men into position," Tom instructed the captain, "If he fires, take him out." He raised his own gun. Everybody watched, anxiously.

Suddenly, the lobby door opened. "Someone's coming out!" Todd announced.

"Watch the sniper! Prepare to fire!" Tom called out.

CeeCee walked out, holding her belly and trying bare through the pain and the cold wind against her arms. Tears slid down her cheeks at the thought that her babies were going to be okay, but, also, that her husband, friends, and everyone else were still in danger.

"It's CeeCee," Jesse recognized the person coming out.

The sniper fired.

"Take out the sniper," the captain ordered. Shots began to ring out in the night sky.

CeeCee stopped. It was almost like the babies sensed what was happening and didn't like it. She couldn't move. "Something's wrong," Jesse whispered, watching her.

"CeeCee!" Adam shouted and ran for the door. The men stopped him before he could leave. The gunshots continued. "They're shooting at her!"

"Something's wrong with the babies," Jesse said as he saw her start to sink to the ground. Then his eyes widened as she began to fall. "She's been hit!"

Adam struggled harder against the men as CeeCee fell to the ground. He couldn't help the tears that began to fall freely down his cheeks.

Jesse ran to the police officers. "Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" The gunshots continued. "Hold your fire! She's been shot and she's pregnant!"

"Stay back," the captain yelled at him, "Just get him back!" Jesse fought against the officer pushing him away. "Get back!"

Adam turned to Diego. "Just make them stop shooting!" he exclaimed. Diego just had his gun pointed in the air, and smiled.

Rob wished he could do something, but he couldn't blow his cover now. Jess narrowed her eyes at Five. There was something different about him. He didn't seem as detached as the rest of the men. Then, her eyes widened as she caught sight of his blue-gray eyes. "Rob," she mouthed.


	11. Four hours earlier

**Chapter Ten**

**Four hours earlier, 1a.m.**

"_We're live on the scene, where shots are being fired. One woman, who may be a hostage, has just been shot,"_ _the reporter said into the camera._

"They're shooting at CeeCee!" David Ackerman exclaimed leaning forward from his spot on the couch. His mouth was open, shock written all over his face.

"Why doesn't she get up?" Jake asked.

"She's dead." Brad stared at the television.

David hit his brother in the shoulder. "Don't say that. She's not."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CeeCee whimpered from her place on the icy ground.

"I have to do something," Jesse muttered to himself. He looked around. The officers were busy firing at the sniper. He took his chance. Jesse made a run to CeeCee.

The D.A. stood up when he saw Jesse run forward. "What the hell?"

Tom stood up as well, addressing the rest of the force. "Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" He then turned to the paramedics, "Get that gurney ready."

Jesse picked CeeCee up in his arms, and carried her back to the police. He laid her down on the gurney and searched for where she was shot. He found blood on her upper arm. "Can you see where she was hit?" a paramedic asked him.

"She has a graze wound on her arm. She's lucky the bullet just missed her," Jesse explained, "But she's not out of the woods yet. We have to get her to the hospital."

"Adam...." her head moved to the side, her eyes barely open.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_It appears a civilian ran out in the middle of the gun battle to help the fallen hostage to safety. No word on how badly the hostage was injured, but the shooting—"_

David muted the television.

"Hey, don't mute it," Jake told him, "I can't tell what's going on."

"Neither can that reporter, and her inane babble is making me crawl out of my skin," David leaned back against the couch.

Jake still watched the TV. "Damn it, get the camera away from the looky-loos and put it on the girl who was wounded," he scolded the television.

"Why would they shoot CeeCee?" David wondered.

"How the hell would I know?" Jake put his hands out, "They certainly have plenty of other worthwhile candidates, starting with that miserable Slater."

"And what was Jesse doing running in the middle of a gun battle? He could----" David still wondered.

"C'mon, that was totally Jesse running out there like that," Jake defended, "He couldn't just stand there and watch CeeCee die."

"From what the reporter says, it looks like he saved CeeCee's life," Brad spoke up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Eight came back into the lobby. Diego spoke to him, "Oh, I'm disappointed. Were you trying to miss?"

Adam was still struggling against the men holding him. He was going to kill Diego. "Let go of me!" He finally broke free, and stalked over to Diego. "He shot my wife!"

"No, I don't believe he did," Diego said loudly.

"The bullet missed her, she fell on her own," Eight confirmed.

Adam looked back and forth between them.

"It doesn't appear the support you gave your wife did any----" Diego began to say.

Adam gave him a push backward, showing a great amount of self-control. "Oh, shut up, you were trying to kill her!" Diego braced himself against Adam's attacks. Suze stood up to try to help her friend, but a gun was pointed at her.

Jess watched Rob walk past her to Adam. He tried to pull Adam away, but it only got worse. "I hate you animals! All of you!" He looked from Rob to Diego. "You're the ones that should die! Not innocent people, you coward!" Diego just stared at him. "Hiding behind your stupid masks. You think you're so tough." Adam turned to Rob, reaching his hand up to pull the mask off. "Why don't you take it off?!"

Rob blocked him. Jess immediately jumped up before Adam could pull the mask off. "You have to calm down," she told him, "Calm down." She took Adam's wrist and made him look at her. "I understand that you are frustrated about your wife, but you need to calm down or we are all going to die," Jess whispered.

"Well, he's going to kill us all anyway," Adam replied. He turned around to face Diego again. "Right? You don't care about human life. You sent a pregnant woman outside and then you shot her."

"That is the purpose of a hostage," Diego stated, "to die for my cause."

"Oh, yeah, so what's your purpose?" Adam questioned, "Huh? You can walk out of here with everything in that vault and you'll still be the same worthless piece of trash that you were when it started."

"I second that," Suze agreed.

"You people don't seem to be clear about one concept," Diego turned and began walking around the room. "You're not in charge here----I am. Do you understand?" He pulled a bellhop to his feet and threw him against the front desk, then let him fall back to the floor. Diego turned back around. "But Adam was right about one thing. I couldn't care less if you die or if you crawl out of the wreckage of this hotel with a few less body parts. So, either you stifle your urges to lash out at me and behave like nice little kiddies or be prepared to pay the price. Now everybody on the floor and don't make me say it again!"

Diego walked back to Adam. "And you," he put his gun on him, "I'd like you to curb your hysterics..." Adam pushed his arm away and began walking away, "....if you don't want Susannah to get her head blown off."

He then turned to Ruth, who was trying to help the poor bellhop. "You, Florence Nightingale, stop what you're doing." Diego turned to Rob. "Take her in the back."

Rob made his way over to her. "Why?" Ruth asked.

"Because I don't want to hear your voice anymore," Diego explained. "On second thought—on second thought, Six, you take her in the back." Rob handed Ruth's arm to Six.

"Come on," Six pulled her.

"That was great what you did for Adam," Dr Krantz whispered to Jess, "but don't do it again."

"Dr Krantz...." Jess began in a whisper.

"Listen to me," Dr Krantz told her, "Now, this guy is starting to unravel. He's not playing mind games anymore. He wants to regain control of the situation. If he starts losing it even more, he's going to start killing people."

"He's going to need the hostages alive," Jess interrupted, protesting.

"He doesn't need all of us," Dr Krantz explained, "As a matter of fact, he only needs half of us. Think about your family. So you stop acting on impulse, and you stay calm and you stay quiet."

Jess took a deep breath and looked over at Rob standing by the front desk. She didn't look away. "There may be another way," she whispered back to Dr Krantz.

"Ok, hostages, just a brief reminder," Diego announced, "This lobby is set up to explode, and you don't know which one of us has the detonator. So, be very careful who you touch and how. My people, listen up, if someone so much as breathes loud, kill them, por favor."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ok, let's get her to the hospital," Jesse instructed the paramedics. They began leading the gurney away.

Tom caught Jesse's arm. "Jesse, wait, we need to talk to CeeCee about what's going on inside."

"CeeCee is in no shape to answer any questions," Jesse argued.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lena sat on floor of the vault, across of Three, and the briefcase in the center. She looked at Three and saw his eyes closed. Lena got on her hands and knees, and began crawling quietly over to him. She got to his side and stopped, beginning to think that this was a bad idea. She decided to do it anyway. Lena reached her hand up, and pulled his mask off. She immediately backed away.

Three gripped his gun, standing up. "No, don't----don't shoot me. Don't, please," Lena squealed.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Three asked.

Lena toyed with the mask in her hands from against the wall. "Well, I thought you might be roasting," she reasoned.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you," Three warned her.

"Because you don't want to," Lena whispered. She gathered more strength and spoke louder. "Obviously, it was stupid of me to take off your mask, but look at it from my point of view. I've been stuck in here with you for hours, not knowing what you look like and it was driving me crazy."

"If I let you live, you can I.D. me," Three said through gritting teeth.

"No I won't," Lena insisted, "I promise."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you on that?" Three threw at her.

"Well, you didn't expect any of this, right?" Lena said, "You took this job thinking it was going to last five minutes and pay you a million dollars. You didn't think of what you would actually have to do for that money. If you kill me, that's murder and ruins the rest of your life. You don't want that, right?"

Three sighed and sat back down. "I'm not going to shoot you. I just don't know how either of us is going to get out of here."

Lena walked back over and sat next to him. "Ok, maybe we could figure that out together."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How are you feeling?" Dr Brendan Cox asked CeeCee, sitting down on the stool by her hospital bed. He held her chart in his hands, taking her vitals.

He snapped her out of her thoughts. She focused on him, and then realized that he has asked a question. "Well, the pain is less intense," CeeCee answered.

"Which is always a good sign," Brendan smiled at her. "I want to do an ultrasound just to make sure everything's okay. It's just a precaution." He gave her a reassuring smile as he pulled the ultrasound machine closer. The doctor squirted the cold liquid onto her belly, and then began moving the wand around on her belly. Soon, the room was filled with the heartbeats of her babies.

CeeCee's eyes filled with tears and she smiled in relief that the babies were okay. A tear slid down her cheek as she watched her twins on the screen. Now, if only she knew if her husband was going to be okay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jess leaned closer to Dr. Krantz. "You know what I wish?" she whispered to him, but not taking her eyes off Rob, "I wish Rob was here right now, because he would know what to do in a situation like this. He would be calm and he would be watchful."

Dr Krantz didn't know what she was getting at. He followed her gaze over to the other side of the room, and got it. "Is that…?" he asked in a low whisper.

Jess nodded, then turned back to Rob.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jesse stood leaning on a police car, fidgeting. He couldn't take not knowing what was going on in there, not knowing if Susannah was okay or not. Jesse began to think about his conversation with the ring leader a few hours back. Did he do or say anything that could have put Susannah in danger? Suddenly, Jesse knew why the man had sounded so familiar before. He knew him. "Diego," Jesse muttered. He knew then that Susannah was in more danger than any of the other hostages. "I have to get her out of there, even if it means sacrificing myself."

He then spotted a megaphone sitting on the police car. A plan had already started formulating in his head. Jesse moved slowly around the vehicle, and, thankfully, no one saw him take the megaphone in his hand. Then, he walked purposefully away from the police toward the hotel.

"What---Jesse, stop!" Jake yelled at him, "Someone shoot him in the leg!"

"Hey, hey, stand down! Stand down," Tom contradicted. He turned to Jake, "What are you doing? You know, you're acting like you have private knowledge about what's going on in there. Are you working some kind of angle?"

"No, of course not," Jake spat out.

"Then Jesse does what he wants," Tom told him.

"Even if it violates every procedure that we have in place?" Jake argued.

Tom didn't back down. "Yeah, even then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Alright, this is what we're going to do," Lena began, "When we here this door start to open, you're going to grab your mask and put it back on and grab the briefcase. Stick your gun in my side, and I'm going to act all terrified of you. Then, once One has the briefcase, just tell him you're going to take me back to the lobby with the rest of the hostages. Hopefully, he'll hang out here and make sure whatever he wants is actually in the briefcase. Meanwhile, when we get to the office corridor, we're going to go left toward the service entrance instead of going right to the lobby, and we'll head out back where, hopefully, the cops will be waiting."

"To shoot me," Three stated.

"I'm not going to let them shoot you," Lena assured him, "My boyfriend is a cop. He'll listen to me if I tell him to shoot."

Three looked at her doubtfully. "You realize that your plan can't possibly work."

"Ok, it's a long shot," Lena admitted, "but it better than giving up."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jessica," Dr Krantz whispered sternly to Jess, "Whatever you are planning, stop it. You're only going to make thinks worse rather than better." He kept his stern gaze on her.

"I've listened to everything you told me to do tonight," Jess told him, "but, obviously, just sitting here isn't getting us out. We need to make a plan, now."

"Stop it!" Dr Krantz snapped.

---

"If we get out of here, I'm not sure I ever want to operate again," Kara confided to Nicholas. She leaned her head on his shoulder, taking a deep calming breath.

Nicholas kissed the top of her head, rubbing her arm. "We will make it out of here, and you will operate again, ok? And when we do get out of here, we'll take your parents out to dinner like we talked about."

Kara looked up at him with fear evident in her eyes, "Nicholas--"

"Hey, hey, hey," Nicholas consoled her, "We're getting out here, okay." She nodded faintly and rested her head back on his shoulder.

Everybody stopped abruptly and held their breaths when they heard someone shout into a megaphone from outside. "Diego! Hey, Diego!"

Diego took a few steps toward the door then stopped, his eyes narrowed curiously.

"This is Jesse de Silva!" Jesse called through the megaphone, "This private party of yours is turning out to be a big waste of time. The briefcase that you're so patiently waiting to take out of the vault---it's equipped to self-destruct."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, I'm sending you out of here and advise you to rest completely," Brendan told CeeCee, "I don't want to see you back here until it's time to deliver." He wrote on the chart and then closed it and set it down.

CeeCee smiled at him. "I'll try, but I don't know if I will be able to," she said honestly, her mind automatically going back to all the people still trapped in the hotel.

"I know it will be hard, but it's crucial," Brendan replied. He walked her out of the cubicle. "I've called a taxi for you, so that you didn't have to worry about how you got home."

She smiled at him appreciatively as they stopped just in front the main doors. Brendan bid her goodbye and went back to work. CeeCee made her way out of the hospital to the awaiting cab. The driver opened the door for her, and she climbed in. He shut the door, and went around to the driver's side. CeeCee absently rubbed a spot on her belly where one of the babies was kicking.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" the driver cleared his throat.

CeeCee was snapped out her thoughts. "I'm sorry, yes?" she apologized.

"Where to?" he smiled understandingly at her.

She thought about it for a minute. Then, she spoke without hesitation, "The Sterling Star hotel."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jesse didn't stop. He continued yelling into the megaphone, his eyes never leaving the hotel. "I know what you want. I also know you're not going to get it without help. The briefcase is an equinox. That's right, equinox---a state-of-the-art little number with a built-in self-destruct mechanism. That means holding up in there, waiting for the vault to open, isn't enough. You need the code. I have it." Jesse took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm willing to trade. Me and the code for the release of the hostages."

"I knew this had nothing to do with a robbery," Jake replied.

---

At this point, Six came back into the lobby. "I heard the guy outside. Why is he being such a hero?" he asked of Diego.

"Obviously, he has someone special at risk," Diego answered his minion, but he was looking at Suze as he spoke. Suze glared back at him. He smirked, and walked over to where she was sitting. Diego knelt down in front of her. "That's your devoted boyfriend again, isn't it?"

Suze turned her head away from him, refusing to answer him.

Diego didn't like that. He shook her violently by the shoulder with his free hand, "Hey, I'm talking to you. What does this guy mean to you? Speak up, or your friend goes bye-bye." He pointed his gun at Adam.

"I love him. Leave him alone," Suze whispered harshly.

"_Chica Buena. _You've been such a great help, but you're only getting started," Diego said. He grabbed her by her neck and pulled her up. "Come on, _querida_." He pushed her to the door.

---

"We can all get what we want here, Diego," Jesse finished. He waited. Tension filled the chilly night air. Then, officers began getting into position when the door opened. Jesse began, unconsciously, to lower the megaphone as he felt his heart drop. Diego stopped in the open doorway, his arm wrapped securely around his _querida's_ neck and his gun pointed at her head. She looked scared.

"This is going to be very simple choice for you, _amigo_," Diego spoke, threateningly, "Give me the code, or Susannah dies. Simple."

---

"Do you have a distance mike?" Tom asked the captain, his gun poised at the gunman.

"Yes, sir," the captain responded.

"Use it. We need to hear what's going on in there," Tom replied, turning back to the hotel.

---

"It's okay, _querida_, it's okay," Jesse consoled, "Diego is too smart to shoot you, because killing Susannah will guarantee you will never get that code. Let her go. Set the other hostages free and I'll come in---"

"NO!" Suze shouted, and Diego held her tighter.

"---and I'll give you the code," Jesse continued, ignoring Suze's outburst, "and when the vault opens, you punch it in, you take what you're here for and get your people out. Everybody's happy."

Suze was shaking her head, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. "You're bluffing," Diego replied, "I think that if I want to wait for the vault to open, I'll get what I want, then use the hostages as leverage for my escape. That's what I think."

"You're willing to take that chance," Jesse questioned him.

"Give me the code, or watch your girlfriend die!" Diego shouted.

---

"It's not working," Todd said to the other officers, "He's going to have to give up the code."

"Jesse doesn't know the code," CeeCee said walking to the scene.

---

Rob, slowly and inconspicuously, tried to aim his gun directly at Diego. Jess watched him. She leaned toward Dr. Krantz. "Do you see which one is Rob?" she whispered.

"He may not get a clean shot," Dr. Krantz whispered back, "He could even shoot Susannah."

"Oh, come on, Diego. You don't want to do this. You're to smart for this." They heard Jesse say from outside. Rob continued to try to aim his gun at Diego.

"What do you think you're doing?" Two caught him. Rob quickly moved back and looked away.

Suddenly, Paul jumped up to his feet. "Give him the code, Jesse. He's already shot two people. He'll kill Suze unless you give him what he wants."

Diego kept his stare on Jesse. "Finally, the hothead---I believe his name is Paul--- makes himself useful," he told him, "He's telling the truth. I will kill her. So, what's it going to be, _hombre_? The code or Suzie's life?"

He clicked off the safety of the gun.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N:** I hope I still have some readers. I can't apologize enough for the long wait. I hope there are still some of you interested. Please review.


	12. Three hours earlier

**Chapter Eleven**

**Three hours earlier, 2a.m.**

"He'll shoot her," CeeCee said to Jake. She was completely scared for her best friend. "The man's completely ruthless."

"Oh, come on, Diego," Jesse tried once again to get through to him, "You don't want to do this. You're too smart for this. Don't shoot her, let her go. I'll take her place, I'll give you the code."

Suze stared at Jesse, not wanting him to do it. "Game. Over." Diego stated and took the safety off the gun, and put his finger on the trigger.

"No, Jesse! Give him the code!" Suze exclaimed trying to get out of Diego's grasp, but he just held her tighter.

"7-6-7-2-8-5!," Jesse hurried to get the 'code' out before Diego could shoot her. "That's the code. That'll will open the briefcase."

Everybody waited for Diego to do something.

"Cover your people. Now," Two ordered Rob. He turned back to Tasha, Ruth, and Adam.

"If the briefcase in question is actually an equinox and if the code works, your girlfriend may survive. At least you would have seen her one last time. Be grateful for that," Diego responded. He backed up, pulling Suze back into the lobby. The doors closing behind them.

Jesse closed his eyes. He didn't do it, he failed. And now Susannah could possibly be in even more danger because of him. Jesse groaned and mentally kicked himself.

"Any chance that Jesse actually told him the right code?" Jake asked CeeCee.

"I don't think so." CeeCee watched Jesse, who she knew was probably beating himself up right now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Diego stopped in front of a still standing Paul, keeping his hand on Suze's neck. "You should be very grateful to your friend for his effective yet overly dramatic appeal to your boyfriend." He leaned closer to her. "Say thank you."

"Thank you, Paul," Suze said. She wiped hastily at her wet cheeks, just wanting to forget everything that just happened.

"_Chica Buena._ If Mr. de Silva hadn't given me the code, I think our Susannah would be dead at the moment. What a waste. She is one of my more amusing hostages," Diego replied. He let go of her, pushing her forward as he walked away from them.

Paul caught her, but Suze didn't pull away. She hadn't realized that she was shaking. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay," Paul soothed her. Suze really wanted to be in Jesse's arms and have him tell her everything's going to be okay, but he wasn't here and she was scared that that was the last time she'd ever see him.

Diego walked over to Two and Five-Rob-. Jess was watching him. "Do you think there's a problem?" she whispered to Dr. Krantz.

"The woman saw Rob line up a shot on Mr. Diego," Cyrus explained to her.

"Five got distracted by the scene at the door," Two was telling Diego, "So did half our other people. They're starting to get sloppy."

Diego looked at Rob. "Are you tired, Five?"

Rob shook his head, looking down.

"Are you having second thoughts about our assignment?" Diego continued to question him.

Before Rob could respond, Dr. Krantz interrupted their conversation. "Mr. Diego." Diego turned as Cyrus was just standing up. "You need to rethink your exit strategy."

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Jesse came slowly back to the police barricade, the megaphone slipping from his hand without him even noticing. He stopped before Tom, Jake, and CeeCee. "Well, can you think of any reason why I shouldn't arrest you?" Jake interrogated him.

"I won't apologize for trying to get my fiancée out of there," Jesse told the district attorney.

"Yes, unfortunately, though, Jesse, it didn't work," Jake retorted.

"Yeah, but at least now you understand Diego's game-he's waiting for the vault to open. When it does, if the briefcase hasn't already self-destructed, he'll punch in my code and it won't work," Jesse explained.

Jake sighed. "Yes, and then the contents of the briefcase will explode, Diego doesn't get what he wants. What do you think he's going to do to the hostages then?" He threw at him.

"You've got until the vault opens to get them out," Jesse argued.

"Oh, we're aware of that." Jake looked away.

Tom turned to Jesse. "You took a chance, it didn't work. Now, let us handle it." He and Jake then walked away. CeeCee stepped up to Jesse.

"Hey, could see into the lobby?" she asked him.

"I didn't see Adam. I couldn't see anything, really," Jesse apologized. CeeCee nodded understandingly. "Hey, you're supposed to be at the hospital getting checked out. What are you doing here?"

"Same as you," CeeCee answered him. Jesse looked down at her as a doctor. "What? Dr. Shultz released me. Yes, I'm supposed to be home resting, but I can't," she spoke, "I can't be at home, while everybody is still trapped in there. I know the atmosphere in there, I was there. Everybody in there is **waiting** to be rescued, and I'll be here when Adam comes out."

"I'd tell you that you wouldn't be any help here, but then I'll be a hypocrite," Jesse sighed, "Especially when I was the opposite of help." He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked away.

CeeCee followed him. "Jesse, don't you dare do that. You had the best of intentions, that's all anyone can ask for. I'm sure that Suze is so grateful that you love her so much to try to save her."

Jesse stared ahead at the hotel. "I'm trying to do that. I'm trying to be positive, trying to believe that she will make it out of there and be well," he looked down at his _querida's_ best friend, "but I'm so afraid that I just made things worse for Susannah."

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One of the men pushed Suze, Nicholas, and Kara to the other side of the room. Diego walked over to Dr. Krantz. "I'm not interested in another grandstand play, Dr. Cyrus Krantz," he told him.

"I don't blame you," Cyrus replied, "Your hands are full-running an all-night hostage crisis, one that was supposed to be a five minute robbery. Your team must be exhausted by now, plus you're surrounded by trigger-happy cops with unlimited firepower."

"The point, Dr. Krantz," Diego reminded him.

"The point?" Cyrus repeated, "Jesse de Silva was telling the truth."

Diego walked closer to Dr. Krantz.

"Focus on the assignment," Two warned Rob. He didn't say anything, he just stepped up to two of his hostages, Ruth and Adam.

"I don't know Jesse very well, but I'm sure he would not risk his love's life on an empty bluff," Cyrus continued, "If he says the shipment is in an equinox briefcase with an armed self-destruct timer, it is. And I'm sure it is because whoever sent it would try to protect it from someone like you."

Everybody watched the interaction between the two men.

"If it's an equinox-and I have doubts about that-once the vault opens, I can secure the briefcase, enter the code, and disarm it," Diego responded.

"What if whatever is in the briefcase has already been destroyed?" Cyrus asked. He didn't wait for Diego to speak; he kept going. "Cops know you're waiting for the vault to open. They know to the minute when that is going to happen. They're anticipating your every move, Mr. Diego."

"So far, I'm not hearing anything I don't already know," Diego didn't seem to be fazed by anything Dr. Krantz just said.

"They have you sitting here waiting to get your hands on something that's probably already in ashes," Cyrus explained, "But you can gain back the element of surprise by leaving."

"Without the briefcase?" Diego questioned.

"You and your men can be in Canada by sunrise with a decent amount of jewelry and cash, so it wouldn't be a total loss," Cyrus said, "Now, the man who paid you to deliver that briefcase is not going to be very happy, but who cares? You'll be gone."

"You make a compelling argument," Diego commented. He smirked, and some people could have been fooled into thinking he might accept it. Then, his gun met the side of Cyrus' head. Cyrus fell to the floor. Jess moved to help him. "Now, tell him to keep his smart mouth shut," he said to Jess. Diego turned around and faced Rob. "Now is a bad time to start second guessing me."

"Our team is committed to seeing this through," Two reassured Diego, "And if Dr. Krantz won't cooperate, there's an easy solution." Two walked quickly away from her spot and grabbed Jess, pulling her to her feet. She dragged her back. "Five, take her to the office." Rob took Jess's arm, softly.

"If there's any noise coming from the room or any sign of trouble, kill her," Diego ordered Five. Rob nodded and began walking Jess out of the lobby.

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"Jesse, c'mon, we are all trying to protect someone who is trapped in there," CeeCee tried to convince Jesse to stop berating himself, "We all just want everyone to be okay."

"Well, one of us is doing a damn poor job of it," Jesse couldn't seem to drag his eyes away from the hotel. He couldn't help thinking if Susannah was still alive in there or…not.

"Diego didn't shoot Suze," CeeCee offered. She rubbed her belly softly, trying to calm the uneasy feeling she had. "That means she must still be valuable to him. Believe me."

"When he realizes I gave him the wrong code, he'll make an example out of her," Jesse pointed out. He didn't like being so negative about this; it was his fear talking. He would love it if Susannah could walk out of that hotel right now.

"He has to get the vault open before he can even get the briefcase," CeeCee reminded him, "There's plenty of time for the police to do something."

Jesse nodded at her, and then turned back to the hotel, crossing his arms. He tried to hold on to the feeling he had in his heart that told him that Susannah was still alive.

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Rob let Jess into the room, and closed the door behind them. Jess stood in one place. "So now what? We wait around for some random sound so that you have an excuse to shoot me?" she guessed.

After looking around the room to make sure there was nobody else in there, Rob pulled the mask off his face. "Calm down, ok?" he reassured her, "I could never shoot you."

Jess stared at him. She hadn't realized what number he was; so she didn't know it was him. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Jess exclaimed.

Rob laughed, hugging her tightly to him. "Calm down. What are you talking about?" he asked her, not letting her go.

"I knew that you were here," Jess pulled back slightly so that she could look at him, "I kept waiting for you do something, to shoot Mr. Diego or make him stop somehow, but you let him continue to torture us all."

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Please, just calm down. It's not good for the baby," Rob rubbed his hands up and down her arms in a soothing way, wanting to wrap her up in his arms but knew that she needed to get all this anger and whatnot out.

Jess nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright, alright," then she stopped, realizing what he said. Baby? She thought back to before this whole mess even started, which felt a like a million years ago, and remembered the pregnancy test. Dr. Krantz's call had distracted her and she never checked to see what it said. This new realization caused her to have to sit down. She lowered herself down to the couch.

Rob sat down beside her. "Are you okay?" he asked her, putting his hand on her back.

"I'm fine," she told him, "So, what's the plan?"

He took a deep breath before beginning. "Ok. Jesse was telling the truth up to a point about the briefcase. It has a six-digit code that has to be re-entered every 24 hours. Problem is, no one knows what that code is."

"So, Jesse lied to Mr. Diego?" Jess repeated, trying to get everything straight.

"Yes," Rob simply said.

"And then when Mr. Diego finds out the code doesn't work…." Jess trailed off, not wanting to think about it; her hand unconsciously moving to rest on her stomach.

Rob saw the movement, and then looked back into her eyes. "That's why I'm getting you out of here now before he has a chance to kill you."

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Nicholas kept his eye on Diego, leaning toward Kara to whisper. "The police know when the vault is supposed to open. They have to get in here before that."

"We need to move fast," Kara whispered back, without hesitating, "When we get a chance, you grab Tasha and we go."

Nicholas looked at her. "Wait, are we going-how do we get past these guards?"

Kara pulled the blanket up on Tasha, then looked back up to her boyfriend. "I don't know, but I can't carry her out of here and I'm not leaving her."

Before Nicholas could reply, a quiet, cracked voice sounded from the couch. They both looked down at Tasha as she spoke. "That's exactly what you should do."

Suddenly, one of the closets began to open. Rob and Jess instantly became alert, standing up and Rob pulling his mask back over his face. A young man with red hair and glasses stepped out. "What the hell?" Rob replied, it being obviously that the kid wasn't supposed to be here. He pulled the mask back off.

"I heard what you said," David answered their unspoken question, "I'm here to help."

"Okay, I don't have time to argue about how you got in here," Rob began, "I want you to take Jess back the way you came in, go to the cops and tell them everything we know." He moved toward the door.

David nodded, wanting to help anyway he can. He moved to Jess' side. Jess ran the few steps toward Rob, grabbing his wrist before he could leave. "Wait, wait-what about you? If Diego realizes that I'm gone, he's going to know that you're a plant."

"That's not your problem," Rob stated.

"Yes it is," Jess argued, "My brothers, Tasha, Dr. Krantz, and a whole bunch of innocent people are there. I can't leave."

Rob blew out a breath. "Jess, we don't have time to argue. I'm getting you and the baby out of here."

She didn't listen to him; she continued, "Do you think he's going to flip out? He's got plastique taped all over the walls and someone has the detonator!" Jess pleaded with her eyes.

He gripped her arms. "Jess, stop, I don't have time for this," Rob all but shouted at her, "You're going with him-that's it, okay? I'm going to check the hall and make sure it's clear." He went out the door, pulling his mask down again. Jess continued to stare after him.

"Time to go," David said to her.

Jess didn't want to go. She moved to the doorway. The hall was empty. "Come on," she called to David. Jess quickly went the opposite way Rob went with David having no choice but to go after her. Soon, they came to stop and began running the other way. Rob caught them both by the arm as Diego turned the corner, walking toward them.

"What the hell is going on?"

Rob backed both Jess and David against the wall, holding them there. Diego held his gun on the two. "I was most unhappy when I found out that you and little Jessica were missing from the office, but now I'm pleased. I assumed that someone would try to infiltrate the building. You did well to catch him and hold on to the hostage. Nice work, Five," Rob nodded his thanks, "However, our intruder is not at all what I expected."

"You'll never get away with any of this," David spoke up. Rob held him tighter and pushed him further against the wall, silently telling him to be quiet. "All the power will fail, the doors will unlock, and the police will come in and kick your evil ass."

Diego walked closer to them. "Come here." He pulled Jess away. "Shoot him," Diego instructed Rob.

Rob brought his gun up, but he was interrupted by Jess. "No, wait, wait,wait, wait! He knows how to get into the vault."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You've already gone above and beyond to save me," Tasha explained to them, through half-closed eyes.

"Then why would we leave you behind?" Nicholas asked her.

"Because I would slow you down," Tasha stated. Kara was about to speak up, but Tasha continued, "Forget about me, ok? If you do get the chance to get out of here, you take each other by the hand and run. And don't look back."

Jess led the way back into the lobby, followed by Rob pushing David, and Diego pulling up the rear. Everybody looked at the new person in their midst. They stopped in the center of the room. "David," Suze whispered.

"You'll be happy to know that Jessica is still alive because you were all so good," Diego explained, "Thank you. And I have some good news. For those anticipating a rescue party-this young man is here. He made a brave and valiant effort to save the day, and now he's going to die." He pointed his gun at him.

"No, no, no, don't shoot him!" Suze exclaimed, standing up.

"I told you that he can open the vault," Jess added. Diego just stared.

Dr. Krantz joined in. "Mr. Diego, you get inside that vault early, you'll gain the advantage," he told him, "and the element of surprise."

Diego deliberated.

"David is my brother," Suze said, "He's a genius; one of the smartest people I know," she looked at her youngest stepbrother, "He can figure anything out on the computer."

Diego kept his gun trained on David. "But can he open the hotel vault?"

"I'm-I'm not sure," David replied.

Diego moved closer to Suze, pointing his gun at her, "Get sure."

"Look, state-of-the-art vaults in emergency lockdown mode are no problem for me. Just show me to a computer," David agreed. Diego nodded at Five, and Rob moved David over to the reception desk.

"If this computer genius is as good as Susannah claims, then he'll open the vault and we'll all go home," Nicholas whispered. Whether to soothe himself or the two women next to him, he didn't know.

"I'd say you're a liar, but….that'd be bad manners," Tasha responded, barely audible.

Kara took Tasha's pulse. She leaned in to whisper in Nicholas' ear, "She's getting weaker.

Rob moved to stand behind Adam and Ruth, the two he had before he left. Two stopped him. "I'll guard them. I want you by the door," she informed him. She took her handgun out, pointing at the two as Rob walked away to the door.

"We may be running out of time," Paul whispered to Suze from where they sat on the floor, "If David gets the vault open and Jesse's code is no good or the briefcase is destroyed, then things are going to get real ugly." He turned to a bellhop near him. "Where is the service entrance from here?"

"It's through those doors back there," the bellhop answered, quite nervously.

Paul thanked him, clapping him on the back, and turned back to Suze. "Ok, you need to get there as fast as you can. I'm talking fast, like Jesse is right there waiting for you outside."

"What about you?" Suze asked him, concerned.

"If I get out of here alive," Paul looked away, "I'll….I'll find you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Todd gathered around with his fellow officers, all preparing their gear. "The vault won't open until 5:30 this morning," he explained, "And when it does, we've got to be ready to move. It may be our only chance to get all the hostages out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mr. Ackerman,-" Diego began, but he was interrupted by the computer beeping, "How long till you get that vault open, _por favor_?"

David kept his eyes on the computer. "Um-well, it's a-it's a triply encrypted algorithm, so-"

"Meaning?" Diego interrupted, getting annoyed.

"I'm working on it," David risked a glance at the ring leader, then looked back at the computer.

"You're a slacker, Mr. Ackerman," Diego began pacing the room, "You need motivation. So, if you don't open that vault with at least one hour to spare-which means by 4:30 A.M.-one of the hostages," He stopped and pointed his gun at Jess' head, "-how about Jessica?-will die."

Paul kept his gaze on Suze's beautiful emerald eyes. "I love you," he confessed. This startled her and she immediately opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her. "You're brave, you're frustrating, you complicate my life. You make it worth living. You make me laugh. You're strong, and you're my heart."

"Then promise me you're going to live," Suze replied.

"I can't guarantee that," Paul told her, "But I will do whatever it takes to get you out of here, because I love you. I'm not going to let you die in here."

Suze saw a familiar look in his eyes. "What are you planning?" she whispered urgently.

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**A/N:** Again, I'm sorry for the long wait. I really hope this chapter made up for it. Now, there was a small hint in this chapter of what Jesse was planning before this all happened. Did anybody catch it?

Please review!


	13. Two hours earlier

**A/N:** I know I keep apologizing for the long waits, but I am truly sorry to keep everybody waiting. This is the longest chapter so far, and a very revealing one at that. If anybody is still reading this story, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember to review, I love hearing what you all have to say.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

**Two hours earlier, 3a.m**

Joe Mastriani placed two cups of coffee on the table in the little coffee shop they had found. He passed one to his wife. "Here, stop stressing over something you have no control over," Joe urged her as he sat down across from her.

Toni took a small, quick sip from the cup and placed it back down. "How can you be so calm when all three of our children are being held hostage and could quite possibly die?"

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Mary leaned up against a police cruiser, deep in thought. She couldn't help wondering if she did the right thing by bailing her son out. There's been no sign of him since, so it's safe to assume that he made it into the hotel without any detection. _I just hope he knows what he's doing,_ she thought. Mary pushed her hair that the wind had blown out of her face, and rubbed her temples, trying not to worry about her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild.

"Mary!"

She turned at the sound of Rob's half sister, Hannah, calling her name. Mary stood up straight as the girl ran up to her. "What's going on?" she asked, "I saw on the news about a hostage crisis. Before that, I get this really cryptic text message from Rob saying to watch out for Jess and the baby."

Mary's mouth formed an O as she came to the realization of what her son was really planning on doing.

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Jesse led CeeCee over to a stoop to sit, knowing her feet were probably killing her. She sat down slowly, shuddering slightly at the feel of the cold concrete through her dress. Jesse shrugged out of his jacket and laying it over CeeCee's shoulders. "Do you know how distant I've been to Susannah this past week?" he said, lowering himself down beside her.

CeeCee narrowed her eyes at him. "Jesse, what are you talking about?" she replied, "You were planning on proposing to Suze. That takes a great deal of preparation and courage. Suze may be a little hurt or whatever, but she would have understood. She loves you, Jesse."

"Exactly, CeeCee!" Jesse stated a little loudly, startling her. He lowered his voice again. "Susannah loves me and is so understanding. Where did that leave her? In the lobby of that hotel, waiting for me, and now she is trapped in there." Jesse sighed and looked down at the ground. "If anything happens to her,…I will never forgive myself."

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Lena sat cross-legged on the floor, the briefcase in front her. She ran her hands through her blonde hair. "Small enough to fit in a briefcase and worth a lot of money," she said. Lena looked over at Three leaning against the shelves. "Do you think it's something you could wear?"

Three shook his head. "I don't know."

"Well, you were willing to risk your life for whatever's in this briefcase, so don't you want to know what is in it?" Lena asked him. She didn't wait for him to answer and reached for the briefcase, "I do."

Three quickly moved to catch her arm. "Don't," he looked at her, "Don't touch it."

Lena stared at him, alarmed. Not because he told her not to touch it; it was the way he said it. He didn't use his frightening bad guy voice. "Why not?" she questioned.

"The case is on a timer," Three explained, "We don't know when it's supposed to self-destruct, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

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"Do you think Suzie is okay in there?" Helen asked, needing to be comforted. Andy stood in front of her, rubbing her arms in a soothing way. "I know how she can be sometimes. You don't think she'd purposefully draw any danger toward herself? She wouldn't do that."

"Helen, I know you're worried and scared, but you can't think about the worst-" Andy was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. He started to reach for it.

Helen stopped him. "Don't. Please don't answer that."

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Paul hesitated, looking around to make sure none of the men could hear him. Then he continued, in a whisper, "Being in here so long, I can't believe I didn't think of this. We can't waste any more time, so I'm-I'm-I'm asking you-don't hesitate, don't look back, don't try to follow me. Just run."

"Paul, what are-"

"No, Suze, I'm serious," Paul interrupted.

Suze glanced back over her shoulder, then back at Paul. Her eyes suddenly widened as she realized Paul's plan. "Are you going to-"

"What?" Paul asked her, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Suze raised an eyebrow at him. "You're really planning on taking Diego and Maria to shadowland, in a room full of people and _explosives_."

"Technically, yes," Paul smirked, "It's not as obvious as you described it, but that's pretty much it. So, tell me you're going to listen to me and get out of here when it's time?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Suze countered, "I'm doing it with you."

Jess leaned toward her best friend, keeping her eye on the room and her voice low. "It's Rob," she told her. When Ruth looked at her with wide, questioning eyes, she explained, "He's dressed in one of the guard's outfits." Jess motioned with her head, "He's over there by the door."

Ruth followed Jess' gaze. She studied the man, and, what convinced her was his blue-gray eyes. Suddenly, they both felt a presence kneel between them.

"Would you like to share with me what has the two of you so captivated?"

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"On the other end of that phone could be work, and if you answer it, then you might have to go in," Helen explained why she didn't want her husband to answer his phone. "And, as selfish as I am, I really need you here."

Andy looked at her, then stroked her cheek. "Okay," he agreed. He took out his phone and turned it off. "I'm sure if the boys got into any trouble, it couldn't be worse than this." Andy wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. They turned back to the building.

"Dad!"

Helen and Andy both turned around. Jake and Brad were coming over to them. "What are you two doing here? I want you home, where's David?" Andy asked his boys.

"Well, if you answered your damn phone…." Brad muttered.

Andy silenced him with a look.

"I've been trying to call you," Jake explained, "We don't know where he is. He's not home, at a friend's house, or anywhere. We finally decided to see if he was here with you."

"He's not," Andy replied, "He's got to be somewhere."

"Andy…" Helen tore her gaze off of the hotel. "I have a bad feeling."

"What do you-" He stopped as he watched her look back at the hotel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joe took his wife's hand and rubbed it, soothingly. He listened as she purged her emotions out. After a minute, he placed his finger over her lips gently, shushing her. "They're all going to be fine," Joe consoled, "The police are handling it. They're going to get everything under control, and we're going to see our kids again."

"The police are acting like a bunch of sitting ducks," Toni replied, "They're trying to bargain with a sociopath. If they haven't figured out that it's not going to work by now, then they'll never will." She rubbed a hand down her face, pushing away her coffee.

"Toni, they are doing everything by the book," Joe explained, "They can't do anything rash. If they do, it will kill Douglas, Mike, Jessica, and the rest of them."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lena stood up from the floor and began pacing, fanning herself with her hand. "God, it's like a sauna in here," she muttered. She looked over at Three leaning against the wall, wiping sweat off his brow. "You know, the least you could do is thank me," she told him.

Three glanced up at her, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion, "What for?"

She stopped pacing and stood in front of him. "Well, you have to be a lot cooler without that mask on."

"Why don't I return the favor?" Three gave her a half-smile. He turned to the shelves, and began rustling around in search of something. He soon turned back around, producing an old-fashioned fan in his hands.

"You found a fan?" Lena couldn't help but smile at him as she took it. "It's gorgeous. How much do you think it's worth?" She began to fan herself with it, and instantly felt relieved for the cool air. Without another thought, Lena started alternating between fanning herself and him.

"As long as it moves the air around, I could care less," Three answered.

Lena laughed. "Seriously, I would give anything to be standing in the water right now with a cool breeze coming off the ocean, a margarita in my hand." She moved again to lean on the wall next to him. "You know, if I get out of this alive, I'm getting my boyfriend and heading straight for the airport and catching the first flight to Cancun." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him look at her when she said boyfriend. "What about you? What are you going to do?"

Three looked straight ahead again, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Lena questioned, "There has to be something you want to do with all that money you're going to get from this job."

"It's not like I'm the one that's going to be spending it." He closed his eyes as the cool breeze hit his face from the fan Lena held.

Lena looked at him curiously, "Who will be?"

"My girlfriend."

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Jess looked Diego in the eyes without faltering while Ruth stared down at the floor. "I heard some movement outside, and I was hoping the swat team was getting ready to come in here and blow your head off," Jess said.

Leaning closer to her, Diego took her chin in his hand and held on tighter when she tried to pull away. "You know, this impulsive streak of yours must keep your husband on his toes. But I should warn you that you should be wise to exercise some restraint. After all, you have eight demerits."

Ruth picked her gaze up from the floor. "Demerits?" she asked.

Diego stood back. "Oh, well, did I fail to mention that we're all operating on a point system here? Each act of willful disobedience gets a demerit. Lightning girl has four, for trying to escape, two more for trying to take the mask off my head without my permission, and two more for constantly mouthing off to me. I should warn you, lightning girl, ten demerits and you die." Diego turned back to the room, speaking to everyone again, "Would anyone please tell Lightning Girl what will happen if the swat team comes to do an extraction of the hostages before the vault opens?" He waved his gun around. "Anybody? Hmm? Speak up, or she gets two more demerits."

"The lobby's rigged with explosives on a 60-second delay," Nicholas spoke up, "If the swat team tries to enter the lobby, you would trigger the detonator before we had a chance to escape."

Diego clapped. "Oh, wow. Bravo, doctor Nicholas. Two credits and a gold star."

Mike groaned in pain as he held the shoulder Diego had shot a bullet in. The wound was still dripping blood. He shifted his position against the wall.

"How are you feeling?" Father Dominic asked him, "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Mike said, gritting his teeth through the pain. He lifted his jacket from the wound to see how it was. It throbbed, and Mike thought better of it and pressed the jacket back against it.

From behind them, Seven shoved his gun between them. "Show me your hands."

"Hey, take it easy, all right?" Mike snapped at the gunman, "I was just applying a little bit more pressure to the wound."

"Tough it out," Seven commanded him.

Father Dominic turned to him. "Can't you see that this man is suffering?"

"So?" Seven snorted, "Say a prayer to ease his pain. Looks like he could use one." Before backing up, he tapped his gun against Mike's bad shoulder, causing him to wince.

David clicked and tapped at the computer. A girl about his own age with auburn hair, named Molly, stood at the desk with him, looking at the computer to the rest of the room with frightened eyes. "Ok, so, what is it exactly that you're doing?" she asked in a whisper.

"I'm looping the mainframe to override the emergency sequence that shut down the vault," David explained in a whispered voice as well, without taking his eyes from the screen.

"Ok, but you're not seriously going to open the vault early, are you?" Molly asked, fear evident in her voice.

David nodded as he turned to look at her. "I mean, come on, the dude didn't give me much of a choice. Either I get him in there by 4:30, or….everybody in here is toast."

Diego walked up to 'Five'. "Keep an eye on Dr. Krantz and lightning girl," he ordered him, "I need to talk to Two." Diego walked over to Two as Rob moved closer to Dr. Krantz and Jess.

"Jesse gave Diego the wrong code," Rob whispered to them, making sure nobody saw him talking to them.

Dr. Krantz followed suit. "Did you get the right one?"

"Uh-uh," Rob paused for a second, then continued, "I have to get Jess out of here first."

"No," Jess replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CeeCee watched Jesse stare at the hotel, his mind going a mile a minute over different scenarios. She decided to help him ease his stress. Bumping her shoulder against his, she said, "Well, your rescue of me-it's all over the news."

"I'm glad you're okay," Jesse looked down at the ground, modestly. "I had to do something. I still can't believe that the police engaged in gunfire as you were coming out, and you're pregnant, too."

CeeCee hugged her belly with her growing twins inside. "I'm just grateful to be out of there. I'm scared for everybody else, though." They were silent for minute, watching everything going on in front of them. "You did the right thing."

"Yeah, well, I don't care much about right or wrong right now," Jesse laughed, "I just care about getting _mi querida_ out of there."

"What can you do at this point?" CeeCee asked him.

Jesse stood up from the step, walking forward a few paces. "I don't know. That's the question, CeeCee. I ran up to the doors, and just put Susannah in more danger. Then I offered myself and a fake code in exchange for the hostages. You can see how that worked out. And now we're running out of time. I think as soon as they find out that the code doesn't work and they're not going to get what they want, all the hostages are expendable. I-I have to see if I can find something out." He ran off after that.

"Ok," CeeCee whispered, but he was already gone. She pulled Jesse's jacket tighter around her shoulders as a fierce, cold wind blew by. Absentmindedly, CeeCee smoothed out her dress as she stared at the hotel, envisioning the scene inside that she was so lucky to get out of. She rested a hand on her belly and whispered, "Please come back to me, Adam."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lena gaped at the man standing next to her. "How could you take a job that could get you killed when you have someone waiting for you at home?" she questioned him, her hands on her hips.

He took the fan from her, and began fanning himself. "It's not like that," Three explained, "I mean, there are no strings, no commitments."

"Don't you want to be with someone who cares about you?" Lena asked, dropping her stance and leaning against the wall, facing him this time.

"It's easier when there's no expectations," Three answered.

"Oh," Lena replied, "So you have no problem with being used?"

Three kicked off from the wall, and began to walk around the vault. "Well, we're using each other. I mean, the difference is, we're upfront about it." When Lena kept staring at him, he said, "What 's wrong with that?"

Lena shrugged, "Nothing at all if you want to end up alone. But I don't. I want to fall in love with someone and have it last."

"Are you saying you're not in love with your boyfriend?" Three questioned her, watching her curiously.

"Y-yes, of course-what would-why would you say that?" Lena sputtered, ignoring his direct gaze and fussing with the hem of her shirt.

Three took four steps closer to her before replying, "Because, if you didn't, then maybe…." He let the sentence dangle there in the air unfinished. Looking down at her, he noticed the little gold specks in her blue eyes; the light pink shade of her soft, _kissable_ lips; the way her blonde hair curls at her temple and spilling over her shoulders in long, beautiful waves.

Lena watched as he stood just inches away from her. She could feel his warmth coming off of him, he was so close. As much as she cared for Todd, she couldn't bring herself to step away. Lena stared back into his deep, dark eyes. Before she could bring about another thought, Three's left hand came up and rested on her cheek. Just rested. He didn't do anything else, but it felt like more when she felt a rush of electricity flow through her from his touch.

Suddenly, Lena heard herself asking, her voice barely above a whisper, "What's your name?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Andy came up behind Helen, resting his hands on her shoulders. "It's getting late. You should go home and get some sleep, ok?" he suggested.

"I'm not leaving," Helen simply replied.

"I can stay here, and call you if there's any progress," Andy tried again, "You're not going to do Suze any good here if you're falling asleep on your feet. You know that's not what she would want you to do."

"I can't leave. I have to be here. I-I have to be here when my little girl walks out of that hotel in one piece," Helen turned around in Andy's arms, her hand covering her mouth as she tried not to break down.

Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he whispered soothing words to her. "Shhh, take it easy. Everything is going to be fine."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm not going anywhere," Suze insisted, "So just me tell your plan."

"You can get out of here, Suze," Paul said, "You can get out of this, be with de Silva and live happily ever after. That's what you want, right, Suze? No interference from me."

Suze quickly looked over shoulder and lowered her voice even more, "If we can figure out the code, we can use it as leverage against Diego."

"I know the code," Paul replied after a minute.

"What?" Suze asked, confused.

Paul took a deep breath before elaborating, like he wasn't sure if he should say anything or wondering how she was going take this new piece of news. "I know the code," Paul explained, "because…..I'm the one who put the briefcase in the vault."

All Suze could do was stare at him in disbelief.

"It'd be better for all the hostages if the briefcase stayed in the vault," Molly told David.

David dropped his hands from the keyboard. "It'd be better for the hostages if this thing went even longer than it already has? The longer this goes on, the more hostages won't see the outside of those doors. I have no choice; I have to open the vault now." He went back to the computer.

"Think about this," Molly wasn't giving up, "The police are going to be taken by surprise. How many hostages are going to die when it is opened?"

"I think that maybe you're letting your fear run away with you," David replied turning back to her, "I know we barely know each other, but maybe you could trust me when I say things are going to be alright." He tried to reassure her with a smile.

Molly tried to smile back. "You seem like an easy person to trust."

Diego and Maria stood off in a corner of the lobby out of earshot of the hostages and other gunmen. "If the briefcase is an equinox, then Slater could have reset the timer," Diego said, "It could have self-destructed in the vault."

"It'll be fine," Maria soothed him, trying to keep him calm.

"Do you know how much we stand to lose if the contents were reduced to ashes?" Diego replied.

Maria placed her hands on either side of his face and whispered, "Of course I do. That briefcase is everything."

Keeping one eye on Diego, Jess leaned toward Ruth again. "When the vault is opened, it's going to be chaos in here. You're not going to have time to think," Jess told her best friend, "You need to run straight to Rob and he'll get you out."

"What about you?" Ruth asked.

"I'll be fine," Jess said.

"You two are becoming a dangerous liability, one that I can't afford." Diego came up from behind Suze and Paul, who were still whispering to each other. He grabbed Paul up by his arm, yanking him to his feet. "It's time to separate you from the flock before the rest of the sheep go astray. Six-"

"Hey?-" Paul started.

"Bring Miss Susannah along," Diego spoke right over Paul as if he didn't say anything, "That'll give her a chance to say goodbye and stop her from doing anything stupid," then he turned and spoke Two. "If lightning girl does anything to earn her last two demerits, hold off on her punishment. I'll do the honors myself." He glanced at Jess when he said the last part.

Everybody watched as Suze and Paul were led out of the lobby, not sure if they were coming back or not.

"David, I really appreciate you trying to calm me down," Molly whispered to him, "I think all I needed was someone to tell me that I am going to make it out of here."

"Hey, don't worry about that," David replied, "If we get a chance to run, we run, okay?"

"You'll stay with me?" Molly asked.

David met her gaze. "Of course."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jesse!"

Jesse turned at the sound of his name, seeing Gina Augustin coming to him.

"Jesse, I heard on the radio you ran up to the lobby doors and tried to make a deal," Gina began, "What happened?" She stuck her hands in her coat pockets.

"Nothing. I failed," Jesse shrugged. After a minute of silence, he walked away before Gina could question him further.

Gina stood there and looked at the hotel for the first time since she got there. All the silence and stillness outside the hotel, besides the sounds of the police, made it hard to imagine the dangerous and terrifying scene inside.

"You can't really imagine the nightmare that's going on in there," CeeCee said, coming up beside Gina.

"I'll take your word on it," Gina agreed. Tearing her eyes from the hotel, she looked at the girl. "It is freezing out here."

CeeCee nodded slowly.

"Hey, why don't we take a break, and we'll go back to The Coffee Clutch and warm up?" Gina suggested.

CeeCee finally turned to look at her. "What if they let people out?" she said, "I kind of-I want to be here."

"Yeah, but you know what? If they let them out, these people are going to need to do their jobs, so why don't we just get out of the way and let them do it?"

CeeCee thought about it for a minute, and then eventually nodded. They walked away, forcing themselves not to look back at the hotel. It seemed that waiting outside for something to happen was almost as worse as being inside. Almost.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Diego and Six had taken Paul and Suze back to one of the offices. They are now tying them to two chairs back to back. "No flirtatious comment?" Suze commented as Diego pulled the rope at her hands a little too tight, "Don't tell me your mood's gone south just like your exit plan."

"It's possible to be too clever for own good," Diego replied, straightening up.

"You weren't worried about the hostage revolt," Paul spoke up, "You wanted me here, because you need me after all."

"I think you two should take this opportunity to say your goodbyes, because if I find out that I don't need you, Paul Slater, someone will be back to put a bullet in both your heads."

"That would be the biggest mistake you could make, Diego," Paul continued, "Because you need me to get into that briefcase."

Diego pointed his gun at him. "You're bluffing."

"You know I'm not," Paul didn't back down. "I'm the only chance for you to get what you came for. I have the code."

"So do I, thanks to the _novio de esta chica bonita_," Diego smiled at Suze, which earned him a glare from her.

"Jesse would've said anything to keep you from killing Suze," Paul told him, "He gave you six numbers, right? But not the code to disarm the briefcase."

"We'll see." Diego motioned to Six, "Come on." They walked out of the room.

"What are we going to do now?" Suze hissed over the sound of the door clicking shut. "You're the one who put this all into motion, so tell me what's the plan?" She couldn't help the hint of disgust that was in her voice.

"You know the code, too," Paul simply stated.

"What are you talking about?" Suze exclaimed, "I don't know it!" If she wasn't tied to this chair, she would throttle him right now. Maybe until he stops breathing.

"It's quite obvious," Paul smirked, "I know you know it."

"I don't know a six-digit code for programming exploding briefcases, Paul," Suze snapped, sarcastically.

"Suze, you know more than you realize."

"Doug?" Tasha's small, hoarse, and weak voice asked. Her eyes were half-opened as she tried to focus on Nicholas and Kara.

Kara looked at Nicholas, then answered, "Tasha? Honey, he's still here. He's okay." They didn't know for sure if he was okay or not. Douglas was on the other side of the couch, unconscious. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh-pain's back," Tasha explained, looking down with her eyes, trying not to move that much. "It's just it's-I don't know. It's different than before."

"How?" Kara prodded.

"Oh….like it's coming from far away," Tasha finished.

"You just need to hang on a little longer, ok?" Nicholas said, rubbing Tasha's shoulder gently.

"You know how much blood I lost in me," Tasha replied.

"Tasha, you're going to live," Kara said with determination, "You've come too far to give up now."

"Ok, ok, what is all this?" Molly asked David, looking at the computer screen, but wasn't really sure what she was looking at.

"Um, ok, I-I generated an algorithm to reset the internal timer," David explained. She still looked confused, he continued, "I'm tricking the vault into opening early."

"Wow, you really are an assassin of cyberspace," Molly admired him.

"I appreciate your praise," David smiled at her.

"So if you can trick the vault into opening early, can you do the exact reverse?" Molly asked.

"Only with, like, two clicks of a button," David affirmed, "Why?" He gazed at her, curiously.

"Because we need to stall," Molly responded, "There's no way that Mr. Diego is going to keep us alive once he gets his hands on the briefcase."

Rob leaned down close to Jess and Ruth. He kept his voice low, and tried to speak quickly so no one would catch him. "If anything goes wrong and you get a chance, you head straight for the door. Jess?" He waited until he had her full attention. "Warn the police." He discreetly handed her a ski mask like his own. She took it and slid underneath herself.

"No," Jess told him.

"Just wait for my signal," Rob continued, urging and pleading with his eyes for her to listen to him.

Suddenly, they felt another presence kneel down next to them. "Oh, isn't this cozy." All three of them looked at Diego.

Three looked down at Lena carefully. "Alex," he answered, "Alexander, but you may call me Alex." He made soft circles on her cheek with his thumb.

"Hello, Alex," Lena replied, softly. She watched as he began to bring his mouth down to hers.

"Hello, Lena," Alex mouthed, and moved in to kiss her.

Lena anticipated his kiss. She wanted to kiss him, so she moved closer to meet him halfway. Their lips brushed together tenderly, testing each other. They met again, and, this time, kissed more passionately. Suddenly, Lena placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away. Since he was taken off guard, she managed to move away from him.

Alex looked at her, his eyes still filled with desire. Be it as it may, he wasn't going to force himself on her either. "I'm sorry if I've overstepped in any way," Alex apologized, "I just thought…." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, no, no, it's not your fault," Lena assured him. "It's mine. I shouldn't have encouraged you or-or I should have stopped it before…." She looked at him with apologetic eyes, "I have a boyfriend."

"It didn't seem like you cared about that fact when you kissed me back," Alex pointed out.

"If I were you, I'd be very, very careful," Diego warned Rob, "You see, lightning girl is a treacherous little thing. One minute she's smiling at you, and the other, she's using you to cover her escape. Go check on the computer kid's progress and remind him that he's on a deadline to open the vault." Rob nodded, and Diego waited until he had walked away before he turned back to Jess. "Are you trying to work one of my team?"

Before Jess could answer, Ruth broke in, "It-It's not Jess' fault. I was just asking for some water."

Diego looked at Ruth, Jess, and then back again. "Well, then, I'm going to have to punish you," Diego announced, "From now on, I'm going to make you responsible for her behavior. If she steps out of line, you get her demerits, and believe me, they add up very quickly. So I think it would be in your best interest to discourage Jess from cooking up any mischief. Do I make myself clear?"

Ruth nodded solemnly as Jess mouthed 'I'm sorry' to her.

"What's with the look?" Seven snapped at Father Dominic. His annoyance was growing as the priest was watching him.

"I'm praying for your soul," Father Dominic replied, calmly.

Seven snickered, "Pray for yourself." He began shoving him.

"Hey, why don't you leave him alone?" Adam retorted.

The silence between them hung heavily in the air. Unable to take it any longer, Suze had to break it. "Why is this briefcase so important to Diego?" She asked the question that's been buzzing around her since when Paul told he was involved.

Paul breathed a deep sigh. "I guess I owe an explanation," he resigned.

"Yeah, you owe me at least that," Suze snorted.

"I'll start by telling you what is in it," Paul began, "I was going through one of my grandfather's books. I came across something that's hard to explain. I'll just say it'll be dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Ha!" Suze interrupted.

"Anyway," Paul continued, "I decided to do the right thing for once and hid those pages in a high-tech equinox briefcase. You see, those pages hold the key for Diego's and Maria's continued existence in this world."

"What?" Suze questioned, confused, turning her head toward him.

Paul shifted in his seat. "Remember when you exorcised them?"

"Yeah…." Suze affirmed.

"Okay, well, they didn't go through any of the doors," Paul explained, "They're still wandering around shadowland." He spoke over Suze as she tried ask a question. "When we came back through time, the two of us together, we created a kind of hole or rip. Diego was somehow able to right himself before he hit the barn floor and die. Him and Maria came through to this time." Paul paused for a moment for it all to sink in. "They are walking around only half here. Their full spirits are still in shadowland. They need to get their souls back on before the next full moon or they're dead….for good this time."

"Oh my god," Suze whispered. She looked around the room aimlessly, her head full with this new information. Her eyes stopped and stared at the phone on the table near them. Suze stretched her foot out and tried to hook it around the phone cord. "Oh," she missed the cord again.

Paul narrowed his eyes, turning as much as he could to look at her. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"I am trying to call for help," Suze said through gritted teeth, not stopping her pursuit of the phone.

"Diego's people turned off all the phones," Paul reminded her.

"Yeah, well, maybe they forgot one," Suze replied. She got her foot around the phone cord, gave a yank, and the phone clattered to the floor. "Oh, great." She sat back against her chair heavily.

"What'd I tell you?" Paul smirked.

"No dial tone," Suze grumbled, "You told me, I know."

"Of course I did," Paul said proudly. Then, he turned serious. "Ok, listen to me."

Suze sighed loudly.

"What if the numbers aren't really numbers-they're letters?" he hinted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Helen walked up to the District Attorney, Jake Manning. "Do you have a plan yet?" she asked him.

Jake looked at her once, then turned back to the hotel. He pushed up his glasses and crossed his arms. "At 5:30, the vault opens, at which time Mr. Diego is going to find an equinox briefcase that he does not have the code for. And while he's scrambling to improvise, the swat team is going to move in, storm the hotel, and extract the hostages." Jake shrugged, "It's the best chance we've got."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You've got a lot on your mind right now to even think about hurting your boyfriend," Alex told her, trying to say it in a kind way.

"You don't have to do that," Lena stated, leaning against the wall and sliding down it to sit on the floor. She pulled her legs up, resting her arms on them.

"Do what?" Alex asked, looking down at her.

Lena tried to smile at him. "Try and make me feel better," she explained, "I mean, I have no one to blame for this except myself."

Alex shrugged and swung himself down to sit next to her. "So you-you are in a life or death situation and you kissed another guy?"

"Well, that doesn't give me the excuse to kiss you and hurt Todd like that," Lena looked down at the floor. "I'm not that girl."

"If you were single, what would you do?" Alex questioned.

"Honestly,…I would definitely want to keep kissing you and to get to know you better," Lena said, sheepishly, keeping her gaze on the floor; a blush coming up to her cheeks.

"What about Todd?" Alex whispered.

"Well, I do love him and we have a great relationship," Lena explained, "He makes me laugh and he cares about me a lot. But…." Alex placed his finger under her chin, guiding it up until their eyes met. "I say everything that's on my mind to you, and….you make me feel things that he doesn't." She wretched her eyes away from him. "I can't allow any of that to happen."

Alex leaned so close that she could his breath on her ear as he whispered into it, "I thought you said you always go for what you want."

"Sure, but not at the expense of someone else," Lena replied. She turned her head to the front, but still avoiding eye contact with him. He was still so close to her. "What about you? What do you want?"

"Oh. Make a little cash as quick and easy as I can," Alex smiled at her, trying to get her to do the same.

"Well, I guess I ruined that one for you," Lena half-laughed. She slowly turned head towards him again.

"There's always next time," Alex said.

Finally meeting his eyes again, she whispered, "Hopefully."

"Ok, if the numbers stand for letters, then it's got to mean something, right?-a place, someone close to me," Paul hinted at again.

"All right," Suze said, "It can't be my name; it's too long."

"Are you sure?" Paul smiled.

"Paul, if you're implying that I don't know how to spell my own name, then I'm going to knock you and your chair over," Suze retorted. "What could-"

"S.S.I.M.O.N," Paul spelled.

"You used my name-" Suze began to ask, sincerely.

"Can you see the keypad on the phone?" Paul interrupted.

"Yeah, I got it," Suze looked down at the phone. "S…7,…S..7...I…4...M…6...O…6...N ..6. So, the code for the briefcase is 7-7-4-6-6-6?"

"Yes, that is the code," Paul confirmed.

The desk computer beeped, startling both Molly and David. "Whoa. Sometimes I'm so awesome, I scare myself," David praised himself. He motioned to Molly and Rob. "Look. I can have the vault open a full hour ahead of schedule. All I have to do is hit one little button to start the override. I mean, should-should I stall or should I open it?"

"Open it," Rob urged him.

David turned to the girl next to him. "Molly?"

"Do it," she agreed.

Jess fingered the mask underneath her. She turned to her best friend. "If I try to escape, they're going to take it out on you," Jess said, not wanting to put that on her friend.

"Don't worry about me," Ruth reassured her, "Just wait for your signal and go."

Jess looked over at Rob by the front desk, and her hand moved to her flat stomach.

"If you guys get the chance to get out of here," Tasha whispered to the two who have helped her so much, "don't waste one second you have together. Just forget about everything that's happened and just-just be happy."

"I promise," Nicholas whispered back.

Kara blinked back tears. "Promise."

Tasha closed her eyes then, resting. She breathed strained and weak breaths, but she was still alive.

"Come on, padre," Seven taunted, "Be a good priest-turn the other cheek. I dare you."

Father Dominic continued to ignore the gunman. But someone else couldn't. Suddenly, Adam jumped up and attacked Seven. He fell to the floor, but Adam continued to punch him.

Seven groaned in pain.

It was then that Adam realized that every gun in the room was trained on him. He stopped throwing punches, and slowly got off the gunman.

"Don't move!" Two warned him.


	14. One hour earlier

**A/N:** I want to thank all of you for the response and support for this story. Thanks to everybody who hasn't given up on me. This chapter is for you. Enjoy and don't forget to review afterwards.

**Chapter Thirteen**

**One hour earlier, 4a.m.**

The Coffee Clutch was filled with a quiet murmur. The small television up in the corner behind the counter was tuned to the news, which was reporting the Sterling Star Hotel hostage crisis. CeeCee sat at a small table across from Gina. She was nibbling on a blueberry muffin with a half cup of tea in front of her.

"You have to relax," Gina informed her, tearing her eyes away from the TV. "It's not good for the babies."

"I know, but I can't help it," CeeCee replied looking down and rubbing her belly absently.

"Yeah, I can't help but worry about Suze," Gina agreed, "I can't even imagine what it is like in there, being held at gunpoint, not sure if you're going to walk out alive." Gina shook head, her copper-colored curls bouncing back and forth, and shuttered from the image her words brought with it.

CeeCee set down her muffin, finished with it, and wiped her mouth off with her paper napkin. "It's no use thinking of that, Gina," she told the other woman, "What we have to do is hope and believe that everyone will make it out alive, no matter how much the odds are stacked against them."

Gina nodded, her eyes going to the TV screen. "Oh, look," she said sarcastically, "This reporter is acting like she knows something about what's going on when really the police aren't saying anything. She's so professional and detached. God, I just want her to shut up."

CeeCee laughed, but her smile disappeared as quickly as it came. She looked over at Gina, gathering her stuff together. "I'm going back to the hotel."

* * *

"That's it, then," Suze said, "I guess no matter how many times I turned you down, your feelings never really changed. I still can't believe you used my name as the code."

"It shouldn't surprise you," Paul replied, "I love you. I always-"

"7-7-4-6-6-6 is the code," Suze interrupted him, not wanting him to finish that thought. "Those numbers will stop the briefcase from self-destructing. It's exactly what Diego wants to get us out of here."

"Or at least one of us," Paul stated.

XXXXXXXXXX

Everybody was silent and still as they watched Adam move away from Seven's body. Four stalked over to him, his gun drawn. "I hope you enjoyed your last act on earth," Four threatened. Adam didn't do or say anything; he just accepted it.

Diego came over from where he was by the doors. "I decide who lives or dies," he reminded Four.

"He just killed one of our men," Four protested.

"Silence!" Diego shouted. Nobody dared to move or even breath loudly, not even the other gunmen. Diego turned to the rest of the hostages. "Show's over, kiddies. Go back to whatever you were doing." He, then, turned to Adam.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ok, um, we're good to go," David said.

"You opened the vault?" Molly clarified, questioningly.

"Once I press this button, the override goes into effect," David explained. He looked at Rob, and then at Molly. Turning back to the computer, he pressed the button.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jess couldn't take it anymore. She jumped up from her spot on the floor. Ruth tried to stop her, but Jess shrugged her off. Rob moved around the front desk, stopping himself from going any further. "I knew it. I knew it-I knew it from the first time you snapped," Jess yelled at Adam, taking a few steps forward. "You don't care about any of us; you just want revenge for the bullets exchanged when your wife was _walking out_. The only person who might be the only one to survive this whole thing. I want to hear you admit it! Come on, say it, you freak! Say it!"

"Bravo," Diego clapped, walking toward Jess, "Lightning girl finally showing off her true colors." He started to take her arm, but she jerked her arm away from him as fast as she could.

Rob started to move forward again, but Two stopped him. "I'll take care of this," she told him. She walked to Adam, "Hey, hothead?" She shot him, and he fell to the floor.

Jess, realizing what she had done, looked toward Rob, and took a few steps toward him.

"Hold it right there," Diego stopped her, his gun on her.

* * *

"Somebody's getting trigger-happy in there," Jake Ackerman said, loudly and frustratingly, "We haven't got another hour to wait for that vault to open!"

"Look, we don't know whether that was actually targeted or if it's simply a warning," D.A Jacob Manning stated.

" 'Simply a warning'. My brother and stepsister are in there, man," Jake A. argued, "If they come out feet first with bullets in their heads, am I supposed to care about this-"

"Look, we know Mr. Diego wants the briefcase-that's the reason for this whole debacle," Jake M. reasoned, but getting frustrated himself, "Once he gets it, he's going to need live hostages and he knows it." Jake turned to a detective. "Get him on the phone."

"Oh, great, great," Jake A. retorted, "And if my siblings are eating bullets while you're chatting on the phone-"

Officer Todd came up to Jake right then. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Todd said, "Jake, calm it down a notch."

XXXXXXXXXX

Jesse walked over to the police commissioner, Tom. He waited patiently until the commissioner was free before he spoke. "Look, if you plan on storming that lobby in the next hour, I need to set up a triage area now," Jesse requested.

"We've got paramedics on site," Tom informed him. He looked down at a paper an officer was showing him, said something to him, and they walked away.

"Paramedics? Tom, that's not enough," Jesse explained, just a tiny bit outraged. "You're crazy if you think Tasha's going to be the only casualty. We need to be able to save multiple live simultaneously, which means a team of E.R. doctors standing by. When dealing with gunshot wounds, we don't have time. Tasha's already been in there way too long. She doesn't have the time-"

"I got it, I got it," Tom interrupted, "I'll call the hospital, they'll send personnel. I'll have a triage set up within the hour."

XXXXXXXXXX

Jake Manning was reconnoitering with a police officer. "Todd, one more thing I want you to take care of before we storm the lobby." Jake turned slightly and pointed to someone. "I want you to arrest Jake Ackerman."

* * *

Since she wasn't able to change CeeCee's mind or even think of any good enough reasons not to, Gina drove them back to the Sterling Star Hotel and the police barricade. They were silent most of the way, not really sure if there was anything to be said.

"You know, I can't find a way out of this nightmare," CeeCee confessed, picking at the hem of her dress.

Gina sighed, "I hate to be the voice of doom here, but no matter how tonight plays out, you-we're-trapped. This night is going to be imprinted in the mind of everybody involved. It will take a while to be able to put all of this behind us. Even then, I think all the hostages are going to come out of this changed, or, at the very least, have a new outlook on life."

"How am I supposed to do this?" CeeCee questioned, "I can barely make it through five minutes without thinking of the worst. How am I going to get through the next month should the worst happen? I don't think I can do this without-" She broke off on a sob.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't even think like that," Gina soothed, thought she was caught off guard and not really prepared to comfort an upset pregnant woman. "You can't let those kind of thoughts take over. Think of the positive, and absolutely refuse to let the negative in."

CeeCee wiped her eyes and nodded, a few tears still slipping past.

* * *

Lena sat against the wall next to the vault door, fanning herself slowly. She eventually stopped and tossed the fan aside. "Why bother?" Lena stated, "The air in here gets hotter by the minute."

Alex sat across from her at the opposite wall with the briefcase next to him. "Yeah. It won't be much longer," he told her, "The vault is set to open in an hour and a half, give or take."

"Have you given any more thought to my plan?" Lena asked, propping her arm up on her leg and resting her chin in her hand, tapping her fingers against her cheek.

"It could work," Alex replied, "except for the part where you and I make a run for it."

"Ok, well, what's our alternative?" Lena questioned, "I mean, you don't actually think you're going to walk away from this, do you? The cops are probably swarming this place by now, and they're not going to wait forever. Eventually, they're just going to start shooting their way in. And once that door opens, you're going to have two choices-surrender or die."

Alex leaned forward. "Lena, you're the one that's in danger," he responded, "One planned this all out. He's going to come in here, grab this briefcase, blow up the lobby, and cover's the team's escape by killing the hostages."

"You would actually help him do that?" Lena replied, with doubt in her eyes.

XXXXXXXXXX

The phone in the lobby began ringing.

Diego spoke to two of his men. "Dump him in the supply closet," he instructed them in dealing with Seven's body, "and hurry back." The two men dragged the body out of the room as Diego angrily stalked over to the still ringing phone. He grabbed it off the hook. "No, D.A. Manning, I'm not interested in anything you have to say!" Diego yelled into the phone, then slammed it back down. He turned around to see Nicholas standing up and heading over to check on Adam, who Mike had helped prop against a pillar. Diego pointed his gun, "Dr. Nicholas-Dr. Nicholas, you already have a patient." He moved his gun over, "You, Nurse Kara, check on the rabid dog. Now!"

Kara jumped up, shakily, squeezed Nicholas' hand when she passed him, and rushed over to Adam. She dropped down to her knees, and nearly stopped at his appearance. He could barely hold the towel to his stomach where he was shot. He was very pale, barely able to catch his breath, and his eyes were half-opened.

"What's the verdict?" Diego asked from across the room.

Kara checked his pulse. "He-he's alive-barely," she announced, "My god, there's so much blood. I-I need some help."

"Just tell me what to do," Mike offered, still keeping pressure on his own bullet wound, but volunteering his help.

Kara smiled at him, but shook her head anyway. "Well, you can't risk making your own bleeding worse, so-Jess? I need you to help me."

Diego happily grabbed the back of Jess' jumpsuit, and pushed her over to the trio. Jess, however, struggled against him the whole way. "No, no, no, no, no, come on," she protested, "I don't want to do it, I won't." Diego pushed her down to the floor.

"Jess, please," Kara pleaded. She tried to check on Adam's wound without totally removing the towel.

Jess looked at Adam, then at Kara. She sighed, and moved in to listen to Kara's instructions.

"The next time a hostage attacks one of us, don't hesitate," Two directed Rob, "Shoot to kill-got it?"

Rob nodded, hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

Diego move around the other side of the front desk, where Molly and David were. "Move," he ordered David.

David fumbled out of the way, even though Diego just wound up pushing him anyway. Diego stood next to Molly. "Oh," Molly whined, and flinched away from him.

"Our medical staff seems to have their hands full, and I hate to make you all bloody," Diego warned her, "and I won't if your weird little friend here made progress." He glanced over at David.

"Look, uh, no worries," David reassured, "I got the override running like I said, ok? Your vault will be opened in a half an hour."

"Well before the cops are expecting it. Good work, Mr. Ackerman," Diego grinned at him, "You may have just saved Molly's life."

XXXXXXXXXX

"If you have a plan, you need to tell me about it before Diego gets back in here," Suze stated to Paul. She was getting restless. Her butt was falling asleep from sitting in the hard chair, and her wrists were hurting from being tied. She shifted in her seat and moved her hands to get the blood circulating.

Paul was slouched in his chair. "The cops know what Diego wants by now, and I could bet all the money I have that they're going to storm that lobby as soon as the vault opens," he responded.

"That means Diego knows that, too," Suze finished with a sigh.

"That's right, and he's going to want to run with the briefcase and he's not going to be able to do that because he doesn't have the access code," Paul explained, "So what I'm going to do is….I'm going to give it to him, in exchange for your release."

Suze turned her head to look at him. "You can't do that," she told him.

"One of us has to stay alive," Paul said, "And I think Jesse will agree with me that it will be you."

"Well, you know what? I know the code, too," Suze snapped, "So who's to say I'm not going to tell him that and use it for your release instead?"

* * *

Jake Ackerman stalked over to the district attorney. He had overheard the D.A. and an officer discussing about having him arrested. "You can't put me in jail!" he argued with the other Jake.

"Yes, I can," Jake Manning corrected the young man, "I'm charging you with obstruction of justice."

"You got pretty thin skin, don't you, Manning?" Jake A. yelled, "All I did was point out that your plan has some faults."

"I really don't have time to argue with you, ok," Jake M. replied. He turned to Todd. "Could you please cuff him?"

Todd moved toward Jake, but he stopped the officer. "Come on, I got family in there!" Jake A. protested, this time to the police commissioner. "Don't take me out of the loop, I might be some help!"

Tom looked at him and the rest standing around for a few minutes. He finally sighed and said, "Sorry, Jake," Tom apologized, "I have to side with the D.A. There's no way you'll stay on the sideline. As soon as we turn our backs, you'll rush in there. I can't allow that."

"Ok, fine. Are we all happy now?" Jake M. said, "What are you waiting for? Could you please take him downtown?"

"Will you at least let him stay on the scene until his family is out?" Todd asked, trying to help Jake out.

"Todd, he is a loose cannon," Jake M. told the young officer, "I don't think I have to explain that to you."

"You arrogant bastard," Jake A. muttered and tried to walk away.

"You stay put," Tom warned him, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"You're going to get a bunch of people killed!" Jake A. pointed out.

Tom spoke to Todd. "This is your friend, and-and he'll convince you do whatever he wants." Todd nodded solemnly.

"You don't fool me, not for a minute," Jake A. broke in. Detective Rodriguez came up to him, handcuffing his hands behind his back to begin to lead him away. He didn't stop talking; he wanted Tom to hear him. "You don't believe in this rinky-dink operation. You want to save those hostages yourself, but you haven't got the guts, and you can't take me standing here reminding you of that!"

* * *

"You know what your problem is?" Lena started, sitting up straighter against the wall, "You need to see the hostages as people, just like you see me."

"No, I don't," Alex responded, fiddling with the briefcase.

"There's Jess. She's in love, and having a baby. I'm pretty sure she would be celebrating with her husband if she wasn't being held up in a lobby with your psycho partners," Lena continued on like he hadn't spoken, "And then there's Nicholas. He's a doctor. He works so hard that he was supposed be having a nice night out with the love of his life if he wasn't here. And, yeah, I know it sounds corny to say 'the love of his life.' But Nicholas and Kara, they have this real-life, fairy-tale romance. Kara's my sister, and did I mention she's in here, too?"

"I don't need to hear this," Alex said. He wanted to cover his ears, but he couldn't do it.

"And then there's CeeCee," Lena added, "She's pregnant. So, not only would you be killing her, but you would responsible for the death of an innocent, unborn child."

"It wasn't supposed to turn out like this, all right?" Alex interrupted.

"How did you think it was going to be?" Lena threw back at him, "Your boss gave you a mask and a gun and told you not to let anybody leave."

"It was a job-five minutes, in and out," Alex explained, "He made the plan; we followed. There wasn't supposed to be real flesh-and-blood people involved."

* * *

"You're not down with this," Jake said as the officer led him to a wall away from the police, right where some hospital staff were setting up a triage area. "Come on, you can't be happy with how the police are handling it."

"What's your point?" Det. Rodriguez pointed out.

"My point is, don't chain me out here while that idiot gets my family shot," Jake said, frustratingly. The detective didn't listen to him, however, and began handcuffing him to a drainpipe.

A curious nurse was watching the interaction. She was an older woman, and was keeping an eye on them as she checked off necessary medical items. "What's that about?" she finally had to ask.

"Jake is being detained by the police department," Det. Rodriguez explained, "He's a danger to himself and the hostages." Jake rolled his eyes as he leaned against the drainpipe. "He's probably going to ask you to help him out. Under no circumstances are you to do that. He'll act on impulse and end up getting a bunch of people killed."

"Well, that's the police's business, it's not mine," the nurse agreed.

Det. Rodriguez walked away after that, and Jake called out after him. "Thanks a lot, pal. Maybe I can do something for you sometime." He lowered his voice. "Clown." Jake caught the nurse looking at him. "Cops, huh?" He laughed. Then, he sobered up. "Hey, you got any family in there?" Jake asked the nurse, "I got two; my brother and stepsister. They've got their whole lives ahead of them."

The nurse shook her head, starting to move away.

"Come on, I'm not one of those guys that's going go off halfcocked, and get a bunch of people killed," Jake begged her, "I'm not!"

"I know who you are," the nurse replied, going back to her work.

"I'll cover you, I swear. I'm-I'll make sure that they think I got myself out of this," Jake continued, but with less effort. He knew she already made up her mind not to help.

At that point, Jesse walked up to the triage area. "Ok, glad to see you," he said, "This is a good start. We need to get a triage set up-at least three tents and enough supply-"

"It's covered," the nurse interrupted.

Jesse looked confused. "Look, I just put in the request a couple minutes ago. How could it be covered?"

Dr. Brendan Cox walked up just then. "We were already on our way," Brendan told Jesse, "You're not the only one to see a potential for serious casualties, Jesse."

Jesse smiled his appreciation at his friend.

* * *

The door to the office Suze and Paul were in suddenly opened. Diego walked in with a pleasant expression on his face. He moved around Paul to stand in front Suze. "You're missing all the excitement," Diego said, "The young man with the pregnant wife I'd sent out of here killed one of my men, but not to worry-he was shot for his trouble. I knew you'd want to come back and be a part of things."

Suze fought to keep her emotions off her face. She didn't say anything to him; just fixed him with a stare.

"I'll make you a deal," Paul announced, "I told you I know the code to the briefcase. I'll give you the code if you let Suze go."

"Oh, wow. What have you done to win such devotion?" Diego asked her, "I mean, this man would lie to St. Peter to protect you."

"He's not lying; he knows the code," Suze assured him.

"Well, then I take it to reason you know it, too?" Diego questioned.

Suze stared at him hard. "No, I don't," she lied.

Cocking his head, Diego searched her face. "Well, there's no way for me to find out if you're really telling the truth."

"Listen to me, Jesse de Silva gave you six numbers," Paul explained, "By the time he got to the second, he was bluffing."

Diego walked around to face Paul. "And I have your word on that, do I?" he inquired.

"The first three numbers in the sequence is seven, seven, four," Paul supplied, "I'll give you the last three when you release Suze."

"Oh, you're quite a wheeler-dealer, aren't you?" Diego replied.

"The cops know you're waiting for the vault to open," Paul stated, "As soon as it does, they're going to come get you, Felix Diego."

"Well, then how fortunate that the vault's going to be opened earlier than they think," Diego smirked.

XXXXXXXXXX

Nicholas pushed some hair off of Tasha's face. "Do you want some more vodka?" he asked her, gently, "It might help with the pain."

"I don't-I don't feel anything right now," Tasha answered, hoarsely.

_She's getting weaker_, Nicholas thought, _We can't count on this guy releasing us. When that vault opens, we're out of time._ He looked up and across the room, catching Kara's gaze. He wished they could still be together, even though he knew they had a responsibility to the wounded. As he stared at her, he conveyed all his love for her in his eyes.

Kara caught his look, and knew what he was doing. _We're not giving up, _she persuaded him with her eyes, _We're going to get out of here somehow._

Nicholas held her gaze. _Not if we don't come up with a plan, and, I mean, right now._

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm not sure if I just saved the universe or set us all up for certain death," David admitted as he leaned against the wall.

"You did what you had to do," Molly tried to reassure him. She was leaning on the desk, her chin in her hand.

"Yeah, I just-I just hope I did the right thing." David looked out around the room at the group of people who he may have just condemned all to death.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kara continued to treat Adam, keeping pressure on his wound with his jacket. Jess helped her as much as she could while still watching the room. She shifted her weight. "Ok, I think it's time for me to slip away," Jess whispered.

Kara picked her head up to look at her, startled. "Wait for Rob's signal," Kara whispered back.

Jess looked at Rob, willing him to give her the signal. Suddenly, Suze and Paul came back into the lobby followed by Diego, wielding his infamous gun. "Good news, ladies and gentlemen," Diego announced, smiling his creepy smile, "Thanks to our friends, David and Paul Slater, our little gathering will come to an end in a matter of minutes."

* * *

"How's Jake?" Todd asked Detective Rodriguez when he approached after cuffing Jake Ackerman to a drainpipe.

"Not happy, but he's safely out of the way," Rodriguez answered, taking up his position again, "Look, I'm sorry I had to-"

"No, forget it, you were just following orders," Todd replied.

Rodriguez watched Todd intently, and knew instantly what the other officer was thinking. "Don't do it, alright?" he warned his friend, "You got orders to follow, too. You got to let Jake-"

"He just wanted to save his brother and sister, okay," Todd interrupted, "A part of me wants to let him do it. My only priority is to save Lena."

Rodriguez put his hand on his friend's shoulder. He told him, "As soon as we get inside, I'll get any hostage you come across and you focus on Lena."

Todd nodded, keeping his eyes on the hotel.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Jesse, we can handle things here," Brendan said, "You should wait in the back of the barricades for-"

Jesse interrupted him before he could finish, "We're about to be flooded with God knows how many casualties, one of them would be Susannah. I intend to be here to give her whatever care she needs."

Brendan continued setting up supplies in the triage area with a couple of nurses. "You took yourself off call," he pointed out.

"You're going to need extra personnel," Jesse pushed.

"Listen to me, wait a minute," Brendan stopped what he was doing, leaning a hand on a nearby stretcher. "You know that a doctor who is emotionally tied to a patient is a disaster waiting to happen. So, for Susannah's sake, I'm sending you out of here. Effective immediately." He walked away after that.

Jesse just stood there.

"Psst."

Jesse turned to see where the sound had come from, and saw Susannah's oldest stepbrother, Jake, handcuffed to a drainpipe. Jesse looked him, curious of how he had gotten himself restrained.

"Hey, Jesse," Jake called to him, "You know, the idiots in charge of this are going to blow it. They're going to run this rescue mission into the dirt. Help me. Help me get out of this. I swear to you, I will get into that lobby and bring Suze out."

Jesse was so tempted to go along with it. He'd been thinking along the same lines himself. But if he went in, he could very well end up getting his _querida_ killed. That will not happen. Susannah will not die. So, taking a deep breath, Jesse walked away from Jake and his proposition.

* * *

Diego walked around the lobby, in and out of the hostages. "The police are most likely planning their rescue attempt for 5:30 a.m., just when the vault is supposed to open," Diego was saying. He stopped in front of the main desk. "But we've got a surprise for them, don't we? It's going to unlock sooner than that. Correct, Mr. Ackerman?"

"Yeah, any minute," David nodded, solemnly.

Diego smiled at him, and turned back to the rest of the hostages. "Which gives me ample time to secure the briefcase and open it. If what is in the vault is actually an equinox, then Mr. Slater will give me the rest of the code. If it isn't, then I stick to my original plan. I'll blow this lobby to kingdom come, and use the many deaths to cover my escape. There's a chance that some of you might survive the blast, but no chance at all that you'll survive a gunshot wound to the head. So, keep behaving and pray to whatever you believe in that Paul Slater is telling the truth for once in his life." Diego turned to David and Molly. "Molly, David, come with me. Now."

Molly and David looked at each other. They slowly started to move around the desk. "Faster. Out," Diego ordered as they left the room.

When they had left the room, Rob casually walked over to Jess and Kara. He knelt down, pretending to be asking if Adam was alive or dead. Instead he, discreetly, pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Jess. Jess instantly recognized it as a black ski mask like the gunmen wore.

"Wait for my signal," Rob instructed again, in a whisper.

"Ok," Jess nodded, taking the mask and keeping it hidden from the other men.

XXXXXXXXXX

Diego, Molly, and David came up to the vault. David was ahead, with Diego behind holding onto Molly's arm. "Why isn't the door opened?" Diego asked, motioning toward the vault door.

"Uh, you see that keypad?" David explained, pointing to the square keypad to the right of the door. "I have to tap in a manual command."

Diego gave him an impatient look. "Do it," he ordered, "If either you or Slater are playing games with me, I'll make sure Molly dies slowly and painfully." Gripping her arm tighter, he yanked her closer to him and she couldn't help the whimper that escaped.

With a last glance at Molly, David walked to the keypad that will finally open the vault.

"You have to believe me," Alex was saying, tapping his fingers on his thigh, "I don't want you to get hurt."

Lena nodded, "Then just stick to what we talked about. Hand over the briefcase and-"

She was interrupted by the sound of the vault unlocking. They both looked surprised and alarmed, but Alex didn't waste any time in jumping to his feet and pulling his mask back on.

"It's too soon for the vault to open," Alex said. He picked up the briefcase as Lena scrambled away from the door to stand beside him.

The door opened. Diego grinned, "Get in." The three of them walked inside to join Alex and Lena. "Well done, Mr. Ackerman," Diego replied, then turned to Alex, "Sorry about the lockdown. Now, hand over that briefcase."

Alex glanced down at Lena, and then back to Diego. "The self-destruct is armed," Alex stalled, "There's no way of knowing how much time is left."

"An equinox, indeed. Fortunately, we have a hostage to pressure Paul into giving me the code." Diego said, placing his arm across Molly's shoulders. "And if he's not on the level, this beautiful, young lady dies."

Diego turned to Alex expectantly. "Well? What are you waiting for?" he questioned, "Hand it over." Diego extended his hand for the briefcase.

Alex hesitated once again, looking down at Lena then back at Diego. After an agonizing minute, he handed the briefcase over.

"Gracias." Diego took the briefcase, almost admiring it.

* * *

Jake sat on a crate, leaning against the brick wall behind him. He rubbed at the hand that was cuffed to the drainpipe. He sighed, letting out his frustration. Suddenly, he sat up straighter when he saw his stepmother, Helen Ackerman. "Hey, mom, over here," Jake called.

Helen looked over at him, cocked her head in a disproving way, and walked over to him. "What did you do?" She asked him when she reached him.

"Nothing but ask that dimwit D.A. a couple of reasonable questions," Jake shrugged, "Now I'm, you know, looking at my options and you happen to be one of them. We both want to get Suze and David out of there. You can help me make that happen."

Helen stared at him, skeptically.

XXXXXXXXXX

It grew closer to the deadline. and the atmosphere outside the lobby was just as intense as it was inside. The police gathered together, going over their plans. They needed everything to be airtight, and there to be no heroics or last-minute decisions.

"Okay, let me get this straight," Jake Manning said to the team around him, "So we have to storm the lobby at 5:30 A.M., because that's when the vault automatically opens. The theory being that we're cutting Diego's men off between the vault and the lobby area. Now, he's going to know what our strategy is, so we're going to cut the power fifteen minutes before we go in to shake things up a bit, and make him think we're going in early. Is that it?"

"Yes, sir," the captain answered.

"After, we fire the smoke grenades and the tear gas through the windows, secure the lobby and the surrounding offices, then move toward the vault," Police Commissioner Tom replied.

"Ok, wait a minute," Todd broke in, "There is one serious injury in there, maybe more. Their breathing might be compromised, tear gas could hurt them."

"We have no choice," Tom admitted.

"Then, we don't do it," Todd replied.

The captain simply stated, "It's part of the protocol."

* * *

Diego leaned in to Two. "Watch that one. I may need her in a minute," he instructed. Diego walked over to Paul as Two went over to Suze, gun drawn.

"As soon as Rob gives me the signal, I'm out of here," Jess whispered to Kara. She kept Rob in her line of vision so she wouldn't miss the signal.

"You were right; it is an equinox," Diego was speaking to Paul. "But if you're lying about the access codes, you better tell me. If you don't want Susannah's blood on your hands."

"I already told you what you needed to know," Paul insisted.

"Very well," Diego said, "Then give me the last three numbers."

"I will!" Paul agreed, "You've got to release everybody, first."

Diego narrowed his eyes in irritation. "You're trying to change the rules midstream?" Diego threw at him. He made a motion at Two. "She will shoot Susannah as easily as she shot the last young man. Now, give me the code!"

* * *

Sirens wailed into the night.

"I've got to pick the lock," Jake explained, "Check and see if you have a ballpoint pen or a hairpin or something like-"

"Oh, sure. Let me just look in my purse for-oh, wait. I don't have it on me, because my children are being held hostage in a hotel," Helen exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to scold me later," Jake pleaded, "Right now, I need your help."

Helen planted her hands on her hips. "Why should I?" she demanded, "The police obviously thought they were doing the right thing chaining you up here."

"Does 'storming the lobby at dawn' sound like a great solution to you?" Jake countered, "Listen, those people took that lobby twelve hours ago. That wasn't their original plan; they planned to get in there and out, but what they came for, they couldn't get and they have waited-with all of Carmel's heavy artillery surrounding them. That means they're not going to leave until they get what they want. That also means that the hostages could very well be collateral damage."

"So you're going to run in to the rescue?" Helen questioned.

"Are you going to trust their lives to the police or me?" Jake questioned back.

* * *

"Now!" Diego ordered, his patience was wearing thin. "I want the code in its' entirety, or Two shoots Susannah right here, right now."

"Who are you kidding?" Suze cut in, "You're going to kill us all anyway."

Two pushed her gun into Suze's side, who flinched. "Shut your mouth!" Two exclaimed.

"You kill Suze, you take away my motivation, Diego," Paul informed the man, "I'd be happy to die with the last three numbers. Then, where would your big plans be?"

The two men stared at each other. Diego narrowed his eyes. "It seems that we are at an impasse, so I shall be a reasonable man and reconsider your offer. The code for Susannah's freedom."

"7-7-4-6-6-6," Paul said, after a few minutes of silence.

More silence followed. No one in the lobby dared to breathe.

"He's bluffing," Two stated.

"No, he's not," Diego disagreed, "He's trying to save the only thing in the world that matters to him. Paul Slater would never knowingly try to sacrifice his love, would he?" He turned to the briefcase to put in the code. "7-7-4-6-6-6," Diego counted off.

While Diego was distracted, Rob tipped his head ever-so-slightly to the side. Jess caught the signal. She slowly got up, moved behind the pillars and pulled on the mask. She left the lobby quietly.

The red light on the briefcase turned to green as it was disarmed, making a beeping noise. The hostages all let out a collective sigh of relief that it was the correct code. "Ah, success at last," Diego smiled. He turned to Suze, "Well, Miss Simon, I'm a man of my word. You're free to go."

Suze looked at the rest of the hostages in the room. She spent the past hours with all of them in this room. She couldn't go while they could all die. "No," she declined, looking at Diego.

"Suze, leave now," Paul urged, through his teeth.

"Not without you and everybody else," Suze insisted.

"Well, that's not very smart," Diego replied, listening to them. "though it's touching. Is that your final answer?"

Before Suze could answer, however, the lights went out. The following events would only last a few minutes, but they felt like they lasted an eternity. "They cut the power!" Two exclaimed, grabbing for the briefcase, which had been set on a chair.

"They're coming in early," Diego called to the rest of his men. "Give me the detonator now!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Commissioner, somebody just climbed out. Behind the sign," Detective Rodriguez told Tom, handing him his binoculars. They watched as someone climbed out onto the roof and appeared behind the sign of the hotel.

"One of the hostages?" Tom questioned, looking through the binoculars.

"They're all in black, wearing a mask," Todd added looking through his own pair of binoculars.

"It's one of the perps," Tom said. He put down the binoculars and pulled out his gun, pointing it at the person. The other officers followed suit.

"I don't see a weapon, Tom," Rodriguez replied.

"Be ready to shoot if he pulls a gun or makes a threatening move," Tom ordered. They all stared at the person, waiting for their next move.

XXXXXXXXXX

Diego held up the detonator, looking around at all of his hostages. They all looked back at him with absolute fear. This was it. "Ladies and gentlemen," Diego announced, "It's been emotional."

XXXXXXXXXX

The person jumped down from the ledge of the hotel, and landed on a police car. All of the police officers were poised to shoot. The person climbed off the car and pulled off their mask. "It's Lightning Girl, Jessica Mastriani!" Tom yelled, "Hold your fire, hold your fire!"

"The lobby's wired to explode! Get everyone out!" Jess shouted, and ran to the police. You've got to get everyone out now."

XXXXXXXXXX

Suddenly, Rob ran up and punched Diego. Diego dropped the detonator, and he and Rob began to fight. Everybody looked on, terrified.

Alex picked up the detonator, where it had fallen at his feet. He was about to press it when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Don't," Lena begged him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hit them with the tear gas. Go on my command," Tom ordered, trying to hold Jess at bay.

Jesse moved forward, his hands in his pockets and looked worriedly at the lobby. CeeCee held her hand over her mouth, her other one on her belly. Helen took a few steps forward, but Andy stopped her from going any further.

"Jessica!" Toni tried to get to her daughter, but to many police officers were in her way.

XXXXXXXXXX

The tear gas shot through the glass doors, setting off the alarm. "Push the button, now!" Diego screamed at Alex, still fighting Rob. The gas was quickly filling up the room, but Suze still saw Paul go for Diego. They quickly disappeared. She knew he was going to take him to shadowland.

Suze saw Maria, Two, grab the detonator from one of the gunman and push the button. She lunged for the other woman, pushing and pulling her away from everybody. Suze thought of that long, foggy hallway with doors on either side and a starry night above.

XXXXXXXXXX

"They're going to know we're coming," Todd said as he put on his gas mask, getting ready to go in.

"At least they won't be able to see us," Rodriguez replied, also getting ready.

Jess stared at the lobby, wanting to do something since she couldn't take just standing here. Jesse leaned forward on the police car, worry written clearly all over his face. Screams and gunfire erupted from inside the lobby.

"Do something!" Jesse yelled at Tom.

"We got to get them out of there!" Todd said.

"Go. Go!" Tom shouted to his men. The SWAT team moved toward the lobby, gas masks on and guns poised. Everybody else looked on.

XXXXXXXXXX

The tear gas filled the entire room that none of the hostages knew which way to run for the exit. The SWAT team made their way in, but nobody could pick them out. Most hostages clung to each other, too afraid to even move.

Nicholas picked up Tasha off the couch, and ran to where he pictured the doors would be. "Kara!" he called out to her as he ran. He coughed a little from the tear gas he inhaled when he yelled. Kara heard her boyfriend call her, but she couldn't see anything through the gas. She tried to help Adam to his feet, so that they could try to get out. Nicholas found the doors, and burst through them, the cold fresh air felt a like a slap.

_We're not going to make it to the door in time,_ David thought. Time was slipping away from them; there was no time for thinking. Acting fast, he took Molly's hand and pulled her behind the front desk. David pushed her to the floor, and shielded her from the inevitable explosion.

"Which way do we go?" Lena asked Alex. She was clutching her arms, sticking close to Alex.

"I think it's this way," Alex said starting to lead her to the doors. Suddenly, one of the other gunman grabbed Lena from behind and started to drag her away. He intended to use her to get away, obviously. Alex didn't hesitate. He rushed the other man, and punched him, yanking Lena away.

Having lost the ring leader, Rob wandered around trying to find Jess' family. He had to hope and think that Jess made it out, so he went to get the others. By the couches, Rob finally saw a shadow lying on the floor. As he got closer, he saw that it was Jess' oldest brother, Douglas. Rob knelt down to help him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jesse ran around the police car, closer to the hotel. He looked for his _querida_ to come out so that he could hold her in his arms and never let go.

Jess couldn't take it anymore. She ran for the lobby. A police officer grabbed her before she made it that far. Seeing as he was poised to shoot any gunmen who came out, a paramedic took a hold of Jess, too. "No. No!" Jess exclaimed, struggling to get out of their grips.

"Come on, _querida_," Jesse whispered, searching desperately for Susannah.

"Rob!" Jess screamed.

Suddenly, the lobby exploded. A white light engulfed everything, and both Jess and Jesse were pitched backward onto the asphalt.

* * *

**A/N:** I can't apologize enough for the long wait I keep putting you guys through. I hope you haven't given up. Please review :D


	15. Aftermath Pt1

**A/N:** Thanks to everybody who reviewed! I appreciate it a lot. I'm sorry about how the last chapter ended, but I had to do it. Alright, let's go search through the debris and rubble, and find out who survived….

**Chapter Fourteen**

After the explosion and the blinding light diminished, silence fell over everything. Everyone behind the police barricade were stunned, unable to believe what just happened. The only sound was the police sirens still whirring into the early morning. There were still so many people trapped inside the hotel, alive or dead, so the police quickly snapped back into action.

Nicholas left Tasha in the hands of the paramedics, and moved slowly to the ruined lobby of the hotel. The blast hadn't taken down the whole building, but it was very possible that the structure could be unstable. "Kara?…" Nicholas called, looking around for his love. His heart plummeted as he didn't hear her reply and knew that she hadn't gotten out in time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh my God!" Helen cried, as Andy held on to her arms. "Suzie's in whatever's left of that building!"

"The police are going to get her and David out," Andy tried to console her, "There's no need to panic."

"Panic? How can I not panic when-"

"Hey, the police have too many people to look for. I can go in and get them out," Jake replied. "Help me get out of this." He shook his handcuffed wrist.

"How exactly are we supposed to do that, son?" Andy questioned. He continued to rub his wife's shoulders as tears slipped down her cheeks. "If the police catch you, they just might decide to shoot you down." Andy led them away after that, toward the police to see if they could find out anything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No, Susannah, _querida_," Jesse whispered. Without a conscious thought, he began walking toward what was left of the lobby.

The district attorney saw him and stopped him right away. "Hey, Jesse, no."

CeeCee ran up to Jesse, also. "No, no, no, don't go in," she told him, putting a hand on his arm to pull him back. Jesse stared at the hotel, longingly, with pain in his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You can't go in there, Nicholas," Tom explained, trying to hold the young man back. "The structure's too unstable; you might get trapped."

"She should have been right behind me! She should have been right behind me!" Nicholas repeated. He wasn't seeing the people around him; just replaying the last time he saw Kara in his mind.

"Alright, alright, listen to me-" Tom continued to try to placate Nicholas.

"No! She was supposed to be right there. She was supposed to-I should have…." Nicholas trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Kara might have found another way out," Tom suggested.

"No, you don't-" Nicholas lunged for the hotel.

Tom and another officer quickly grabbed a hold of him. "You need to be checked out by the paramedics, Nicholas," Tom said, "Listen to me-the paramedics and the firefighters are in there. Let the professionals handle this."

"Get off of me!" Nicholas shrugged the two guys off. He walked away, not toward the hotel. This time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Brendan picked Tasha up from the ground, and rushed her over to the triage area. "Nurse? Nurse, I need help. Tasha's critical." Brendan called. He gently laid Tasha down on a stretcher. "Hold on, we're not going to lose you now," he whispered to her, encouraging her to keep fighting.

* * *

Suze and Maria tumbled into the shadowland, still grappling. Suze got a punch on Maria to the face, hearing the crunch and then blood started dripping out of her nose. She clamped her teeth together as Maria grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled. Ignoring the pain, Suze pinned Maria against the floor, though it's hard to see because of the fog.

Maria struggled against her. "Get off of me!" she growled.

"You are going to pay for what you put all of us through, you bitch!" Suze exclaimed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The lobby was completely unrecognizable. Couches and tables were overturned and strewn everywhere. Debris was everywhere, and dust and smoke hung in the air, settling over the bodies of gunmen and hostages alike.

Todd slowly woke up. He reached to his head and felt the stickiness of blood. A quick glance at his surroundings, and he was on his feet. He had a job to do. Coughing, Todd started searching around the rubble. "Lena? Lena, answer me!" Todd called, "Anybody!"

Suddenly, he heard a low groan and what sounded like a gurgled cough. "Hello?" Todd yelled, hoping whoever it was would respond. They didn't. Turning to his left, he saw someone sticking out from behind an overturned couch. Todd rushed over to the person, stopping dead in his tracks at the horrifying sight.

It was Dr. Krantz. He had bloody gashes on his face, his glasses gone. The worst of it was a piece of wood protruding from his chest. There was blood everywhere. Dr. Krantz was extremely pale, and his eyes were glazed over.

"I need some help over here!" Todd called, kneeling over the injured man. He heard a few voices a little ways off, and hoped they heard him. Todd checked for Dr. Krantz's pulse. As he was looking for one, Todd saw Dr. Krantz take a shallow breath and then….nothing.

A firefighter came over to him. "What do we got?" the man asked Todd.

"He's dead," Todd explained. He took a deep breath to steady himself, but wound up coughing again. Another firefighter came over to help bring Dr. Krantz's body out.

"You need to get yourself checked out," one of the firefighters instructed him.

"There's somebody I've got to find. Give me just a little more time," Todd requested. As the firefighter nodded, Todd moved away. "Lena! Lena!"

* * *

"Jessica!"

Jess turned and saw her parents running over to her. They enveloped her in their arms, and she hugged them back. "I'm so happy to see you in one piece," Toni cried into her daughter's hair. "I saw Tasha in the triage area; poor girl. Please tell me the boys were not hurt that bad."

They pulled back from each other. Jess didn't want to tell her parents about her brothers, but felt that they should be prepared for their conditions. "Mike was shot in the shoulder," Jess explained.

Toni gasped and covered her mouth. Joe put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"He wasn't as bad as Tasha; he was very aware of what was going on," Jess hurried on to finish before her mother got too upset. She hesitated for a minute, biting her lip. Blinking back traitorous tears, Jess continued her explanation, "Dougie was hit on the back of the head for trying to get Tasha some help. He was unconscious most of the time."

Toni cried out, hiding her face in her husband's shoulder.

Jess continued on, barely seeing her parents anymore. She was remembering all the people that she loved that were still in the hotel. She held onto her flat belly, _knowing_ that despite her jump from the roof that the baby was still alive. "Ruth was in there, and Rob…and Dr. Krantz. Oh my God!" She made a run for the lobby.

"Jess!" Joe grabbed a hold of her just as the D.A. and commissioner came over. She struggled against her father's grip.

"Jess, calm down, alright," Jake told her, "We can't have you running in there when we're trying to bring people out."

Jess turned on him. "Are you really going to tell me how rough it's been out here?" she retorted, "Try living through what we just did!"

"You made it out." Tom cut in, "We've got teams of professionals inside searching. They'll find your family."

"Are you telling me that I can't go in right now? Are you telling me that?" Jess replied.

"If you go in there and risk your life, they're going to be walking out the back," Jake explained. "Look, here's how it's going to go. You either stay behind the lines where you're safe or you can be arrested."

Jess turned and looked at the hotel, crossing her arms. She felt her mother come up beside her, but speak both to her and the district attorney. "She'll wait, right?" Toni responded.

Sighing, Jess nodded.

"Smart move," Jake said. With that, the police officials walked away.

"We need a medic over here!" Toni called, then turned to her daughter. "You need to get checked out. Make sure the baby's okay."

Joe's eyebrows rose in surprise, and Jess turned around, surprised also. "What did you say?" she asked, "How did you know?"

Toni smiled a small smile. "A mother's instinct, I guess, and the way you're holding onto your stomach protectively."

"What about everybody else who's trapped inside there?" Jess whispered. She stared at the hotel, but let her parents lead her over to the triage area.

* * *

Maria still kept up her struggles, but Suze could tell that she was tiring. She couldn't keep holding Maria like this; she had to figure out a way to get the woman to those ominous doors. Landing another punch on her, Maria was distracted enough to halt her struggles and Suze was able to grab her under her arms, dragging her down the hallway.

Unfortunately, Maria caught on too quickly. "You are not getting rid of me that easily," she snarled, and flipped her body over, digging her feet into the ground. Taking advantage of the unexpected movement, Maria grabbed hold of Suze's ankle and yanked her to the ground.

"Oh, yeah?" Suze challenged, "Watch me." She kicked her right leg out, right into Maria's stomach. Maria's breath left her in a whoosh. Suze regained her earlier position, heading straight to one door.

"Suze!"

Suze didn't let her guard as she turned her head slightly to see Paul running toward her with Diego on his heels.

"Open the door, but stand behind it," Paul told her, "Don't let it suck _you_ in."

* * *

"I'm waiting on those I.V. fluids and blood, nurse," Brendan called, as he tried to carefully look at Tasha's wound.

"On the way, doctor," a nurse informed him.

Jake couldn't take just sitting there, watching everybody rush around. "Dr. Cox!" he called, "Did you see Suze or David in there?"

Brendan shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Jake," he replied, "I had my hands full."

"My hands are free! Help me get loose!" Jake exclaimed.

Brendan brought his attention back to Tasha as a nurse joined him. "How bad is the gunshot wound?" she asked him.

"I don't know," Brendan admitted, "Until I open her up and see what Nicholas did, I can't tell.

* * *

Underneath an overturned couch and a bunch of debris, a blond head moved slightly. Lena picked her head up slowly, blinking her eyes furiously to get used to the smoky darkness. She felt an arm over top her, and everything that happened came back to her. Including the person lying next to her.

Lena coughed and cleared her throat. "I can't believe you threw yourself on top of me like that," she said.

Alex didn't say anything. She shifted so that she could face him, and gasped. His eyes were closed and there was blood soaking through his mask. Lena quickly pulled his ski mask off, her fingers brushing against his cold skin as she did so. She almost cried right there. Alex was deathly pale, his blood a stark contrast against his skin.

"No, no, no, please wake up," she begged, shaking him.

"Lena!"

She heard Todd's yell, and shot to action. Lena pulled Alex's gun off his shoulder, pushing it aside. Then, she unzipped his coveralls and pushed them off his arms and legs, leaving him in his t-shirt and jeans.

"Lena! Lena, where are you? Lena!"

* * *

Jess sat on a gurney, allowing a nurse to check her over. Her parents were beside her, keeping busy and asking her questions. "…No, he-he never had a chance to tell me how he got there," she was saying, "I turned around and I noticed that Rob was posing as one of the gunmen."

Nicholas, who was standing nearby, heard her and walked over, curious. "Which one was he?" he asked.

"Five," Jess answered him.

Toni looked confused, as she rubbed her daughter's arm. "Five?" she questioned.

Nicholas looked at Jess, then explained, "They used numbers instead of names. They wore masks-except for the one guy. She tore his-"

"-I tore his mask off," Jess finished with sigh, glancing down then across at the hotel.

"Well, that was either really brave or really reckless," Toni replied. She knew her daughter had an impulsive streak, but that was pushing it.

"No, it took away some of his power," Jess argued. The nurse gave her the okay, and she hopped down. "It made him a little bit more like one of us." They began walking closer to where they would be able to see anybody coming out of the hotel.

"What it did is make him angry, and he-he dressed you like that to punish you, Jess," Nicholas said.

Toni was horrified. "So that you wouldn't try to get away, you'd look like one of them?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"No, it actually-it made it a lot easier, Nicholas," Jess continued, "Rob gave me one of the masks and I was able to sneak away when everyone was distracted."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm sorry, but all I see right now is SWAT people being evacuated by other SWAT people," Jesse replied pacing back and forth and waiting for Susannah to come out of the building. CeeCee stood with him, along with Susannah's mother and stepfather. It was all he had to not go running in there and search for Susannah himself.

"Hey, do you have any idea how close Suzie or David were to the door?" Helen asked CeeCee.

CeeCee shrugged. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "David wasn't in the lobby when I was in there, and it's been a while since I've been in there who knows where Suze was. I'm sorry."

"_Nombre de dios_, why haven't they found her yet?" Jesse said, frustrated.

"Don't anticipate the worst, all right?" Andy told him.

"Come on, he's right," CeeCee agreed. "Worry if you want, but as long as I'm going to stay here and wait for Adam, you get to stay here and wait for Suze, too, ok?"

Jesse quietly nodded, and CeeCee pulled him into a comforting hug.

* * *

"We have another gunshot victim over here!" an E.M.T called, helping Mike up as he held onto his injured shoulder.

From where he stood by the door waiting to leave with the others, Douglas saw his brother and went over to help him. "Wait, Ruth is still in here," Mike tried to stop and turn around. "We have to go look for her."

"We've rescued a number of people," the E.M.T answered, "Maybe she's out already." They continued walking to the doors.

"Lena? Lena?" Todd continued to call. He walked around the rubble and fallen beams, keeping an eye on the sparks that came from exposed wires. He coughed sporadically from the ever present smoke in the air. "Lena!"

"Help…" a small, hoarse voice called out from a pile of debris.

Todd turned to where he heard the voice. He just saw a head peeking out of a big pile of rubble. "Kara?" Todd asked, moving closer. Then, he saw that it was her. "Kara, hey." Todd quickly knelt down to help her. "You hang on," he urged her, "Somebody help me!"

Todd was trying to move a beam from on top of her when an E.M.T showed to help. Kara tried to say something, but groaned from the weight of the beam instead. "She's pinned," the E.M.T stated.

Todd continued trying to push the beam off. "Just check her. Is she going to make it?" he told the other man.

"Not me," Kara coughed, "You need….to get him out of here."

They both looked confused until they looked at Kara and finally saw a man lying next to her, unconscious. Adam. The E.M.T. didn't waste any time, moving to check them both. Todd still tried to get the beam off; it was only moving inch by inch.

"You need to get out of here, and get that wound checked," the E.M.T. glanced at him, then back down to the two in front of him. "Before it's you we find in here on the next trip."

Todd stood up, wiping at the blood on the side of his face. "Listen, I'm looking for my girlfriend," he explained.

"We've rescued a number of people," the man told him. He pulled Adam gently out of the debris, seeing as he wasn't as pinned as Kara was. "Maybe she's out already."

He thought about it for a minute. He didn't want to stop looking until he found Lena, but he knew she wouldn't him want collapsing from a wound he didn't get checked out. Todd finally nodded, "You take care of her." He motioned to Kara, before turning and heading toward the door. Todd called out for Lena the whole way.

* * *

Jake was still struggling to get out of the handcuffs when Brad and Debbie Mancuso walked up to him. He sighed in relief when he saw them. Maybe his brother will be stupid enough to unlock him. "Brad, have you seen Suze or David?" Jake asked.

"No, nothing. No." Brad answered, glancing back and forth from his brother to the hotel.

"Your dad said he'd call if they found David or Suze," Debbie added, trying to be helpful.

"What kind of damage is done to the lobby?" Jake questioned.

"I don't know," Brad said, "They won't let us close; we can't even see what's going on."

Before Jake could say anything else, Brendan approached Brad and Debbie. "Hey, hey, hey, we need your help," Brendan replied, and motioned to the nurse behind him. "I want you to listen to Laura and help with the injured coming out of the hotel, and pay attention to her and no one else." He gave a pointed look at Jake.

Debbie moved to help out, but Brad hesitated. "Now, you heard the doctor," Laura ordered them, "We need blankets, let's get busy. Come on." They both rushed off to help.

* * *

Lena finished pulling Alex's bad guy attire off, and pushed them away, underneath a pile of debris where no one would find it. During the whole time, Alex didn't wake up. He continued to lay there in all his paleness, iciness, and bloodiness. Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she didn't want to face the truth.

"Come on, please, wake up," Lena cried, shaking his shoulder.

Alex didn't move.

Lena's shaking got more frantic. "Alex, please, _please_!" Slowly, she stopped shaking him and laid her head down on his shoulder, sobbing. Lena didn't know how long she cried, but she suddenly heard a familiar voice call out above her.

"Is somebody there?"

Todd. She saw the beam of a flashlight, soon followed by a pair of legs. Wiping her cheeks, "Yeah, Todd, it's me," she answered. Lena climbed out from underneath the couch with Todd's help.

Todd pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling Lena's arms tighten around his neck and breathing in her scent. "I'm so happy to see you," Todd whispered, "Are you okay?"

Lena pulled away a little bit. "I'm fine, yeah," she reassured him. She glanced back to where she was, then back at her boyfriend. "But there's man under there, too. He was a hostage. I think he's…." She couldn't bring herself to say the word.

"Okay, okay," Todd shushed her, moving her a little ways from the scene that was clearly upsetting her. Then, he bent down to Alex so that he would be able to rest in peace.

* * *

The paramedics wheeled Tasha into the E.R. Brendan walked along beside the stretcher as Dr. Sarah came up next to him with a clipboard to take notes. "Ok, I paged Dr. Rosenthal and they're prepping the O.R. Has she been conscious at all?" she questioned.

They got Tasha settled in a cubicle. Brendan checked the wound again. "Not since Nicholas brought her out of the lobby," Brendan explained.

"Is it true they operated on her in the hotel lobby?" Sarah asked curiously, hooking Tasha up to an I.V.

"Jesse talked Nicholas through it, or Tasha would have bled to death," Brendan replied. They both looked down at their patient, knowing that she was lucky to be alive.

* * *

"Rob probably saved me by sending me out," Jess replied, folding her arms on top of the hotel sign in front of her and leaned on it. "I should have gone back in there for him."

"I doubt Rob would want you do that, Jess," Joe said from behind his daughter.

"Yeah, I can't say that I blame her," Nicholas agreed, barely taking his eyes off the hotel. Suddenly, a group of people emerged from the hotel. Nicholas immediately spotted Todd with an arm around a crying Lena. Nicholas rushed up to them. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"Hey, listen, I knew you'd want to know that I found Kara," Todd told him.

"Where-where is she?" Nicholas repeated, looking frantically through the crowd of hostages and rescuers.

Todd placed a hand of his shoulder. "Listen, the paramedics are helping out," he explained, "She was under some rubble."

"No, don't you tell me that!" Nicholas exclaimed, lunging for the lobby. Todd caught a hold of him. "Don't you-don't you tell me-"

"Listen to me, she had a pulse! She was just unconscious," Todd finished.

"Nicholas!-" Lena called as the man rushed past her.

Nicholas gathered Kara up in his arms, securing her tightly to him. Kara held him just as tightly, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. Nicholas kissed her forehead, cheeks, and then finally her lips. They stood there like that, not noticing everybody watching them; just being happy the other was okay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Douglas! Mike!" Toni exclaimed, running up to her sons and pulling them both to her in a hug. Her husband and daughter were right behind her, adding in their gratitude for the boys' safety as well.

"Where's Tasha?" Douglas asked, "Did she make it out?"

Toni stroked her son's cheek, brushing some dust off. "Yes, she's been taken to the hospital," she explained to him.

"Well, what are we still doing here? Let's go," Douglas said.

"Alright," Toni took Douglas' arm and motioned for her other son. "Come on, Mikey." Mike tried to stay and wait for Ruth, but the pain in his shoulder was too much to bare.

Jess quickly stopped them before they got that far. "What about Rob?" she questioned, "Did you see him?"

"I'm sorry, Jess," Mike told her.

Jess turned away, blinking back tears and refusing to think the worst. "Are you coming with us?" Jess heard her mother ask her father. She didn't bother turning around; she couldn't turn around.

"I think I'll stay here with Jessica," Joe decided.

The sound of their retreating footsteps sounded on the asphalt. Jess felt her father come up to stand beside her. "He's going to be okay," Joe reassured her, after a while.

Jess nodded, faintly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"He's the last in this group," a SWAT member said to the others, indicating Adam on the stretcher the paramedics were pushing. "We need to get back in there and look for more survivors. The structure is getting too unstable."

"Oh my God, Adam!" CeeCee ran up to the stretcher, walking beside it, and taking Adam's hand. "How is he?" she asked the paramedics.

The paramedics looked at each other. One finally spoke up. "He's been shot, and has lost a lot of blood," he explained.

CeeCee gasped and gripped Adam's hand tighter.

"We need to get him to the hospital and into surgery right away," the other one added. They wheeled Adam past the police and onlookers toward the ambulances.

Jesse watched them pass, noticing that Susannah wasn't in that group.

* * *

"Felix!"

Suze laid another punch on Maria, and the other woman crumpled to the floor. She gave her a swift kick to the stomach to keep her down. Suze yanked a door open just as a hand yanked her backwards by her hair.

"FELIX!"

Maria screamed as she was pulled into the door. The door slammed closed when she disappeared. The grip on Suze didn't falter, and she was pulled against someone's chest with an arm thrown around her neck, just nearly close to choking her.

"Let her go!" Paul ordered.

Suze turned her head, balking a little bit at what she saw in Paul's hand. He was standing there with a gun pointed at Diego. "What are you doing with that?-" she questioned him, though it was no time for any such thing.

"You, shut up!" Diego snapped, thrusting his arm against her neck.

"Let her go, Diego," Paul repeated. "Or I'll pull this trigger and toss your body through that door! Let her go."

Suze struggled to put some space between her neck and Diego's arm, digging her nails into his arm. Diego's grip didn't relent. He smiled at Paul, stroking Suze's hair with his free hand.

* * *

Douglas settled down onto the stool beside Tasha's bed in the small cubicle she was in at the hospital. He took her hand in his, placing a kiss on it. Her eyes opened and her head rolled to the side toward him. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Douglas asked her, soothingly.

"Huh." Tasha managed a cracked smile. "Happy to be out of that hotel, happy to see you." She squeezed his hand.

"You know, you were nothing but trouble all night," Douglas joked, wiping his eyes.

Tasha laughed, "What else is new?" Her laughter caused some pain in her stomach and she stifled a gasp.

It didn't go unnoticed by Doug. He grew serious again. "You really scared me," he admitted, holding her hand closer to himself.

"I'm sorry," Tasha replied, reaching up to touch his cheek with her other hand. She brushed it with the tips of her fingers, going back and forth. Douglas leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was passionate, full of longing and the release of fear that had been plaguing them all night. Most of all, the kiss was a promise that the future would be better, with both of them together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We've got a gunshot victim here!" the paramedics barked as they came through the hospital doors. "He's critical!"

"You're going to get through this," CeeCee told a still unconscious Adam. She stood by the side of the gurney, not leaving his side. She gave his hand a squeeze, whether to comfort him or herself she wasn't sure.

Brendan came up to the commotion. "I have O.R. 3 being prepped," he answered, "What are his stats?" He took Adam's chart from the one of the paramedics and reviewed it. He glanced up and saw CeeCee. "We need room to work," he said, "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait in the waiting area."

"Can I just have a little time with him?" CeeCee asked, in a broken whisper.

"We really need to get him into surgery…." Brendan began, apologetically. He looked at her heartbroken face as she gazed down at Adam. "One minute." Brendan stepped away, motioning to the others to do the same.

CeeCee gave him small smile of thanks. She took Adam's hand in both of hers. Taking a deep breath, she spoke, "Listen to me. I'm okay; all three of us are. We need you get through this." A tear slid slowly down her cheek. "You did great. You kept us safe. Now, we-I-need you to pull through this. I can't lose you….." CeeCee trailed off as more and more tears fell.

Brendan walked back up to them. "I'm sorry, but we have to take him to surgery now," he replied.

CeeCee nodded, not speaking because she was afraid she'd breakdown completely. The doctors got ready to wheel Adam away. Before she let go of his hand, she thought she felt just the slightest of pressure. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to hold on to as she settled down into a chair and watched them wheel her husband away, holding her belly carefully.

* * *

_Susannah is probably lying unconscious under some rubble and everybody is walking over her,_ Jesse thought. They're going to help the people they see, and not bother digging through a bunch of debris if there's no need to. If they don't find anybody else, they're going to close up the lobby and leave it at that. _I can't let her get left behind._

Jesse spotted the police commissioner, and walked up to him. "Tom, let me go in," Jesse requested, "I can look out for myself; I know how to be careful. I have to do this."

"Jesse, no, I can't let you do that," Tom declined, "I've got professionals handling this. You may not be happy with the way we're handling things, but that's the way it is." Tom decided that was the end of the conversation and began to walk away.

Jesse didn't relent. He went after the commissioner, grabbing his arm. "You know what's going here," he pointed out, "You want to be in there as bad as I do."

"I took an oath," Tom replied, pulling his arm free. "I have a community counting on me not to let this situation turn into chaos."

Jesse looked away quickly, running his hand through his hair, frustrated. Turning back to Tom, he tried one last time. "Tom, if you turn your back for two seconds, I swear the justice system isn't going to crumble," Jesse begged. He couldn't believe he was actually considering going against police procedure. But he was getting desperate and Susannah's life was in danger. "Please, I have to do-"

"Kara! Lena!" Tom interrupted. Jesse watched as Tom embraced his two daughters, hugging them tight to him.

This was his chance. Tom was distracted by his reunion with his daughters. He could sneak off now, blend in with the crowd of hostages and SWAT team. Jesse looked around him, then walked toward the lobby. Nobody stopped him; they were too busy doing their jobs. Jesse reached the lobby and slipped inside the doors.

* * *

"Put the gun down or I kill her where she stands," Diego threatened. "You'll watch her run out of air; don't think I won't do it. We've been stuck together for twelve hours. You should know I won't stop at anything to get what I want."

Suze was tired of playing hostage. This is the second time Diego held her at gunpoint, negotiating and threatening her life. This was going to end now. Suze elbowed Diego a good one, then brought her left foot up and kicked him in the groin. Diego was caught by surprise, and she was able to push herself away from him.

The gun went off.

Suze checked herself over, making sure she wasn't hit by a bullet. Diego coughed, but still stood on his feet. Paul stood motionless, his hand holding the gun still outstretched. "Bullet-proof vest?" Paul wondered, figuring out why Diego was still standing when he was shot in the chest.

Diego undid his jumpsuit a little bit, revealing the vest. He took the bullet out. "I believe in taking all the necessary precautions," Diego smiled, holding the bullet with two fingers before tossing it away.

Suze spotted something on the ground she hadn't noticed before. She gasped. The briefcase. She moved slowly over to it, not wanting to attract the two men's attention. Suze picked up the briefcase, and held it tightly in her hand.

"There's nothing protecting that spot between your eyes," Paul was saying. His eyes moved to Suze, then back again. "Take the case and go, Suze."

"I'm not leaving here without you," Suze stated. She pulled the briefcase in close to her chest when Diego looked at her. Suze kept her gaze on Diego, but she heard Paul moving closer to her.

"Give me the briefcase," Diego demanded, calmly.

Silence followed, no one giving an inch.

"You have no possible use for it, and it will save me the trouble of killing you for it," Diego continued. He didn't raise his voice or anything; just used that menacing voice that he had. "I never intended on bringing the building down. I knew there was a chance, however slight, that I'd be stuck inside when the charges detonated, but I'm sure that this structure is dangerously unstable. What's left of the second floor might fall down on her lovely head." Diego paused dramatically. "Or you can give me the briefcase and go."

"Why should I let you leave with what you came for, Diego?" Paul threw out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Susannah!"

Jesse stumbled his way through the lobby, calling to his _querida_. He checked under every pile of debris he came to. Jesse wasn't leaving this lobby without her. There was a _creaking_ sound coming from above him, like a board or something was coming loose. "Susannah. Susannah!" Some debris fell, stirring up more dust, and startled Jesse for a moment. He got moving again, more determined than ever.

"We've got to hurry up and get out of here," Todd said to two others. "This place is getting more unstable by the minute."

"Take another look around, circle back to the doors, and get yourselves out," a second officer decided. They all nodded, and got back to work.

A paramedic was looking around a pile of broken boards and glass when a small, hoarse voice called out to him. The boards shifted and a hand moved out, reaching. The paramedic reached out to help the young woman out. Ruth. She was making little, whimpering sounds. "It's okay," the paramedics soothed, tossing a board aside. "We're going to get you out of here."

There was another _creaking_. This time, it was louder and longer.

Across the room, Todd and another officer were helping David out from underneath what looked like the front desk. "There's someone else under there," David explained, "You have to get her out of there."

"Okay, we will," Todd replied. "Just stand back out of the way."

"Do you see anybody else under there?" the officer asked, in a whisper. They both studied the area.

Todd clapped his hands together. "We need to move this beam to really check," Todd said. They each grabbed a side of the beam, and started to move it out of the way.

David watched them, hoping they could get Molly out and she would be safe. Something urged him to look up, and when he did, he realized something. His eyes widened. David quickly moved to stop the two men. "No, stop," he told them, "You guys probably know what you're doing, but-um-that's a support beam, so you might not want to-"

There was a sudden rumbling sound, and the rest of the ceiling came crashing down. "Get down, get down!"

* * *

**A/N:** What do you think? Heehee! Please review


	16. Aftermath Pt2

**A/N:** Thanks to anybody who is still reading this. Thanks for sticking by me and this story. Okay, I know you're all anxious to know what's going to happen, so enough with me talking. Here's the chapter.

**Chapter Fifteen**

"Alright, your vitals are all normal, all things considered," Dr. Sarah Fields said. The doctor finished checking over Mike, and putting a temporary bandage over his bullet wound. Toni stood up from where she was sitting across the cubicle, staying out of the doctor's way.

"How long before you take him to surgery?" Toni asked.

"Well, we're getting an influx of patients from the hostage crisis," Sarah explained, holding Mike's chart down in front of her. "We had to rush a young man straight into surgery. You are stable for now. Do you have any other questions for me?"

Mike and Toni both shook their heads.

"Then, I'll be back in to check on you," Sarah nodded and left through the curtain.

Once the doctor was gone, Mike started to get up from the bed. Toni went to stop him. "Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?" she gently pushed him back down, "You're going to risk making that worse."

"Mom, Ruth is still in that hotel," Mike argued, "I can't sit here."

"Yes, you can, and you will," Toni told him. "When the police get her out, I'm sure she'll come to the hospital to get checked out. You'll see her then."

Mike sighed loudly, seeing that he wasn't going to get his way, leaning back against the pillow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Douglas settled more comfortably into the bedside chair. He readjusted his hold on Tasha's hand. "Do you know what it was like to watch you bleeding out on a couch in the middle of a hotel lobby?" he questioned, with a small smile on his face, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, you poor baby," Tasha laughed quietly and gently, so as not to pull her 'stitches'. "I mean, tell me all about it."

Douglas joined her. "Well, that's easy for you to say," Douglas replied, "You just had to lie there. We did all the work." They leaned toward each other and kissed. They broke apart only by the sound of the curtain ruffling.

Dr. Fields walked up to them, smiling. "Ok, you two lovebirds," Sarah said, "How are you feeling?"

Tasha and Douglas both smiled sheepishly at being caught, but they didn't dare move apart. "Uh….like I've been filleted," Tasha answered the doctor. She tried to ignore the pain and the tugging of the stitches.

Sarah nodded in understanding.

"When is she going in for surgery?" Douglas asked, glancing at Tasha, the doctor, then back again.

"Well, Dr. Cox had an emergency surgery," Dr. Fields explained, "Since Tasha is stable, they're going to take the most critical first."

Tasha squeezed Doug's hand before he could say anything. "It's okay," she replied, "I'm in no hurry to have another operation."

Douglas and the doctor both looked at her, concerned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was crashing of debris as Jesse struggled to his feet. More dust hung in the air than before. Jesse coughed as he tried to pick up where he left off in his search for his fiancée. "Susannah!" he called, ending on another cough. He stepped over a fallen beam, and moved out into a hallway. "Susannah!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two emergency workers helped Todd from the building. Lena ran up to him, throwing her arms around him. The police commissioner also approached him. "You okay?" Tom asked his loyal officer.

Todd stifled a cough against his arm, and slid an arm around Lena's waist. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, "A support pillar collapsed."

"All right. We got search-and-rescue dogs coming in," Tom announced, "Let the crews inside pull out as many people as they can. Right now, nobody goes back inside."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A low groan sounded from underneath a pile of rubble. The black of their coveralls blended in with everything so it was hard for anyone to find him. Rob coughed, picking up his head and pushing himself up on his arms. "Shit," he mumbled, hair falling in his face as he took in his surroundings. Rob pushed a board off his back so that he could sit up and get his bearings for a second. His face hummed from the punches he took from Diego. He was also sure he had a split lip as he pulled the mask off.

Having sat there long enough, Rob began getting the rest of the rubble of him. He tossed a board behind him and heard a slight _oof! _He turned suddenly to find where the sound had come from. "Is someone there?" he asked.

There was a shifting underneath a pile of debris to his right. "Help," a voice called out.

Rob crawled on his hands and knees over to the pile. He started digging through the debris until he came to a female body. It was one he recognized. "Ruth? Ruth, can you hear me?" Rob coaxed her. He dug her the rest of the way out.

Ruth coughed and blinked her eyes open. "What happ-oh my god!" she immediately remembered what had happened and began to panic.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Rob reassured her. Right about then, there was a loud spark from an electrical wire. "We're going to get out of here. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Uhhh," Ruth hesitated, taking inventory of her body. Her head felt fine, arms battered but not broken. As she moved her left leg, an awful pain shot up her leg from her ankle and caused her to gasp. "My ankle; I don't know if it's sprained or broken, but it hurts really bad."

"Okay, uh," Rob thought for a minute. "I need to check to make sure Jess got out. Stay here; I'll come back for you. If anybody finds you before I get back, go out with them. Understand?"

Ruth looked at him. "You sent Jess out of here early," she told him, "She had a better chance than anybody of getting out of here."

"I know…." Rob said. He leapt to his feet. "…I just have to make sure." He was gone before Ruth could say anything else.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Put it down, Susannah," Diego demanded, calmly, "Give me the briefcase and it will all be over."

Suze held her position, not wavering in the slightest.

The tension around them crackled. "This place is too unstable for a standoff," Diego said, "Give me the briefcase and walk away. Now!"

Suze flicked a glance at Paul. His finger was poised on the trigger, and she saw him line up his shot. She couldn't let Diego see him; she had to keep his attention on her. "If you want this briefcase so bad, why haven't you grabbed it from me yet?" Suze threw at him.

"Oh, don't tempt me, Miss Susannah," Diego smirked.

"I'm not giving it to you," Suze stated.

"Well, then, I guess there's only one thing left to do…." Diego lunged for Suze, grabbing for the briefcase. Suze kept a tight grip on it. The gun spoke once, twice. Diego suddenly let go of her, and darted off down the hall out of sight, presumably back to the earth plane. Suze collapsed to the ground.

Paul rushed over to her, dropping to his knees. "Suze? You okay?-" He stopped when he saw blood gushing from her left thigh. She'd been shot. "We've got to get out of here."

"Wait, Paul!" Suze exclaimed, "Paul, he's getting away!"

"Listen to me, you're shot," Paul replied, "Forget him. You're hurt-that's all that matters. We need to get out of here, come on." Paul held on to her and shifted to the earth plane.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dr. Fields checked Tasha's vitals, writing them down on her chart. She watched the doctor work, then left through the curtain. Tasha settled back against the pillows, and looked at her husband. From the look on his face, he wasn't over the last conversation. She sighed, "I'm conscious, and relatively pain-free right now. I'd like to stay this way for a while."

"You need more surgery," Douglas argued.

Tasha fully agreed. She nodded, "Eventually."

"Hey, you were shot point-blank, operated on with no anesthesia, sewn up with fishing line and duct tape." Douglas pointed out. "If you think I'm going to let something happen to you now, you don't know me at all."

"Oh, really?" Tasha giggled, her stomach contracting, pulling at her wound. "Ow."

"I guess there's only way to shut you up, isn't there?" Douglas smiled at her. He captured her lips with his own and kissed her deeply. Then, he pulled her against him in a warm, loving embrace.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I have to know something," Helen stated. Andy stood with her, along with a newly freed Jake, and Brad. "And those sirens are giving me a headache."

"There's got to be somebody here who will tell us something," Jake reasoned. "There." He stepped forward, and grabbed the arm of a passing detective, stopping the man. "Hey, what's going on in there?"

Detective Rowlands hesitated, unsure if he should tell.

"What?" Helen asked, knowing that there _was_ something the detective knew.

Det. Rowlands sighed. "There's been another collapse inside," he explained to the family.

"What do you mean, there's been-" Andy was interrupted by Jake surging forward toward the hotel.

The detective stopped him. "No, no, no, no, forget it," he told Jake.

"But I can-I can go, I can help," Jake protested.

"None of us can go back inside until we know what the conditions-" Det. Rowlands tried to explain.

"My children are in there!" Helen exclaimed.

"Ok, look. There's nothing you can do," Rowlands replied, "Just stay out, and we will do whatever we can to get them out of there." He walked away after that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The workers inside continued their search for hostages, and evacuating them out of the lobby. Flashlight beams bounced off the walls, and shadows moved fluidly around the wreckage. A paramedic helped David to his feet, checked to make sure he could walk. He began leading him to the exit.

David stopped and tried to turn around. "No, wait," he resisted. The paramedic continued to walk toward the door. David held his ground. "No, no, wait, wait, wait, wait! Um…there was this girl. She-she was wearing a pink hoodie."

"We'll keep looking for her," the paramedic reassured him.

"No, no, she was standing right next to me, ok?" David pleaded, coughing a little bit. "Her name is Molly, and I have to find her."

"When we find Molly, we'll bring her to you," the paramedic told him. He motioned for a firefighter to come over. The firefighter came over to escort David out so that the paramedic could help with the wounded.

"No, wait, I have to find her right now!" David exclaimed.

The paramedic moved away, and the firefighter took a hold of him. "Relax," the firefighter instructed David.

"No, no, wait, please! No-we have to-we have to find her, please!" That was David as he was half dragged out of the building.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ruth watched as the young man was pulled out of the lobby, then focused back on the blonde paramedic in front of her. "…can you put any weight on your ankle? Can you walk?" the woman was asking her.

"No, it hurts when I do," Ruth told her.

The woman examined her ankle, meanwhile, Ruth glanced around for Rob. Her best friend would demand to know where Rob was if he didn't come out with her. "Okay, it's a bit swollen, but it could just be a sprain," the paramedic explained. "Let's get you out of here." The woman slipped an arm around her and helped her to feet, letting Ruth lean on her.

"Wait, my best friend's husband is in here," Ruth said, "He found me, told me to wait here. He might need some help."

"We'll find him," the paramedic replied, walking them to the door, being careful to step over the debris littering the floor. "You need to get that ankle looked at properly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Nobody's seen them, dad!" Jess cried.

"Hey, hey, hey, they'll be ok," Joe tried to reassure his daughter. He took her arms in his hands, and tried to get her to look at him. She wouldn't stop looking the hotel.

"Not Rob or Ruth…." she continued as if her father hadn't spoken.

"I know-"

"There is probably debris everywhere," Jess interrupted again, "people buried under rubble!" A tear slipped down her cheek.

Joe pulled his daughter against his chest. "Shhh, don't go there. They're fine," he whispered to her, stroking her hair. "You have to believe that."

Jess hugged her father back. Looking over his shoulder, she still had vision on the hotel lobby. She saw someone coming out. She gasped. "Oh my…" Jess let go of her father, and ran toward the lobby. She grabbed her best friend in hug, almost toppling her over. "I'm so glad you're okay," Jess whispered. They were both so happy, they were almost laughing. Jess moved to help her best friend walk.

"Jess, I have to tell you," Ruth started, "I saw Rob-"

"You did! Is he-" Jess interrupted.

"He dug me out," Ruth finished, "He told me to wait; he said he was going to make sure you got out, that you didn't get trapped."

Jess glanced back at the lobby as they walked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the triage area, Kara sat up on a gurney as a doctor checked her over. Nicholas had gotten a blanket for her and placed it over her shoulders. He stood next to her now, holding her hand. The hospital staff were very busy, running around attending to the most critical, handing out blankets to the hostages, and restocking supplies.

"You were knocked unconscious and you complained of headaches," the doctor noted, as he shined a flashlight into Kara's eyes, checking her pupils.

"Yeah, I think she has a concussion," Nicholas answered for her.

"Just because you performed surgery on a patient doesn't qualify you to self-diagnose," the doctor said. He turned to Kara. "I want you to go over to the hospital. Check yourself in so that they can get you under observation."

"I'll make sure she gets there," Nicholas assured, his hand gripping Kara's tighter. He smiled down at her.

"Is there any word on Tasha?" Kara asked the doctor, who was taking off his plastic gloves.

"Last I checked, she was awaiting surgery," the doctor told her, cleaning up.

Kara hopped down off the gurney, holding the blanket closed. "I want to go see her," she replied.

"Ok, come on," Nicholas agreed. He tucked her into the crook of his arm, and they began walking away.

"Nicholas?"

Nicholas and Kara stopped and turned back around. "Uh-huh?" Nicholas acknowledged the doctor addressing him.

"The work you did on the patient was exemplary," the doctor complimented. He tossed the used instruments into a trash bag. "You have quite a future as a surgeon."

"Thank you," Nicholas nodded. He and Kara, then, continued on their way to the hospital.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jess was back to watching the hotel. She had convinced her best friend to go to the hospital to get her ankle taken care of. Ruth had wanted to stay to support her, but Jess fervently disagreed. Ruth had reluctantly left in the ambulance. Jess crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a chill from the air seep through the sleeves of the coveralls she still wore. She listened absently to the still whirring police sirens and the chatter of the police officers doing their jobs.

"Hey, I managed to swipe this for you."

Jess jumped at her father's voice as he laid a blanket over shoulders. She hadn't heard him come up. "No, there are more critical hostages who need these," she said, as she started to take the blanket off.

Joe stopped her from doing just that. "You need it just as much as them," he told her, "You have to take care of yourself."

"You don't have to be here," Jess replied, "I'm sure you probably want to see how the boys are doing. Go ahead, I'll be fine." She gave him a half smile, and a nod of assurance.

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Joe simply said.

Jess looked at her father, and gave him a grateful full smile this time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Susannah!"

Jesse continued to call out to her, wandering around the lobby. He was almost getting near desperate. The wires sparked again, and the search crews searched harder for any survivors. Jesse came across a firefighter, getting their attention. "Excuse me, please," Jesse said, "I'm looking for a girl-brown hair, emerald eyes, about this tall."

"Sorry, buddy, we're mostly recovering bodies right now," the fireman answered. "Are you a hostage? Because we got-" The fireman started to take him to the door.

Jesse didn't move. "I'm her fiancé!" he exclaimed.

The fireman held up his hands to calm Jesse down. He saw that Jesse was honestly trying to find someone, so he added, "Since the last collapse, no one's been calling for help."

Jesse's heart dropped. "Susannah!" he called out.

"Let's go," the fireman instructed Jesse. Some more debris fell from the ceiling and clattered on the floor. Jesse didn't listen to the firefighter; he walked in the opposite direction.

"Susannah!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nicholas and Kara arrived through the doors into the emergency room. There were a lot of people in there, either sitting in chairs or seeing doctors. They recognized them all as hostages or police officers. Nicholas went up to the front desk to see where Tasha was. The nurse there told him that she was in cubicle 3. Nicholas went back to Kara, and took her hand. Together, they slipped into the cubicle.

"Hi," Tasha greeted. Douglas turned slightly to see who had come in. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I told you you'd make it," Nicholas grinned, happy to see Tasha doing so good after all the time she spent passed out on the lobby couch.

"Isn't considered bad manners to gloat?" Tasha laughed.

Kara chuckled.

"I was just telling Tasha how escaping follow-up surgery isn't an option," Douglas explained to them. They would probably be able to convince Tasha to have the surgery.

Nicholas put his arm around Kara and held her close. Kara put her arm around him as well. "They-uh-they have to remove the bullet," Kara told her.

"So Doug tells me," Tasha sighed, glancing at Douglas.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Tasha," Nicholas apologized, placing his hand on her leg in the blanket. "I…I didn't have the time or equipment…."

"Nicholas, I'm not complaining," Tasha interrupted, "You saved my life."

"Yeah, you were brilliant," Douglas agreed. He looked at Tasha first, then finished by looking at Nicholas. "He did save your life, and I, for one, am very grateful to you. Thanks for risking your life and carrying her out of there."

"Glad I could help," Nicholas nodded.

Tasha looked at all three of them in turn. She blinked back tears, but her eyes kept filling back up. "Look at you," she said, "My personal rescue squad. I don't even….I don't even know how to thank you."

"Just get better, ok?" Kara told her, wiping her own eyes. "I'm not going to accept anything less."

Tasha just nodded and smiled as a tear slid free down her cheek.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Wait, you don't understand! She is still in there; I can't leave her!"

Helen picked her head up from her husband shoulder from where they sat on a stoop. She thought she recognized a voice. "Did you hear that?" she asked Andy. Helen looked back and forth, back and forth, trying to find anything. Andy had also heard it.

Suddenly, Jake broke away from the group. "Dad, it's David!" he announced.

Helen and Andy both jumped up and sprinted after Jake. They reached David, and hugged him at the same time. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Helen cried, holding his face in her hands and checking him over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," David replied. He pulled lightly out of her grip. "You have to understand. "They pressed the detonator, and we had 60 seconds to bail, okay? So, I grabbed Molly's hand to try to get her through the office corridor, but it was dark and smoky, and I think she fell, but I tried-I tried to hold on."

"Alright, alright," Helen consoled, "There's still time. They'll find her. Right now, I'm just so happy you're okay." She hugged him again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Nombre de dios_, where are you Susannah?" Jesse muttered, as he dropped a board after seeing that Suze was not under it. As he began to move off to another area, an emergency worker stopped him.

"All civilians have to evacuate," the man informed Jesse.

"I'm not going anywhere," Jesse argued, "I'm looking for my fiancée."

"We're bringing in rescue dogs," the man explained, trying to get Jesse to leave.

Jesse dropped the board he had just picked up. "Well, bring them in!" he exclaimed, "I'm not going anywhere without her! Susannah!" A beam creaked as Jesse walked away. "Susannah, _querida_!"

Debris fell from the ceiling again. Jesse jumped back. The dust rose in a fog, and Jesse coughed and choked on it. When it had dissipated, he stepped over the debris and moved further down the hall. Within a few steps, Jesse soon saw a figure up ahead digging through the rubble. As he grew closer, he saw something sitting at the person's feet. The briefcase. The figure was built more male than female, and Jesse soon knew who it was.

"Paul," Jesse growled.

As if he heard him, Paul stood up straight and turned to him. He turned on his traditional smirk. "Fancy meeting you here," Paul said. "You are a little too late, though. Maria and Diego are gone."

"I don't care about them," Jesse replied, "I'm looking for Susannah."

"Of course you are," Paul smirked, "Here, take one side. We'll find her sooner that way." He bent down and started digging through the rubble again.

Jesse eyed the briefcase as he walked over. He suddenly couldn't hold back anymore. "I know you had something to do with all of this," Jesse blurted, "What is it?"

"Let's just say, it's something regret, especially now," Paul stopped what he was doing as he thought back. "Things went wrong in the shadowland." He had a sort of pained look in his blue eyes.

"What happened?" Jesse asked, moving closer to Paul.

Paul sighed. "Suze was great. She got Maria through the doors," he explained, "It was Diego. He was more difficult. Suze had the briefcase and she wouldn't leave like I told her to. I had the gun trained on Diego; I could have fired it at anytime. Instead, I waited until Diego lunged for her, firing two shots. I clipped Diego in the shoulder, but the other one…." Paul trailed off.

Jesse's eyes widened and his heart dropped all the way down to his feet. He felt like he just got punched in the stomach. "You shot her?" Jesse whispered, then louder, "You shot her!"

"Hey, I didn't set out to do that," Paul snapped, "It was accident, pure and simple. I don't need you to make me feel any more terrible than I already do. The longer it takes to find her, the more guilty I feel. So, don't you-"

"She is lying in this wreckage somewhere with a bullet hole in her!" Jesse yelled, getting angrier by the minute. "_Esto es todo culpa suya! _If anything happens to her, I will personally see that you will never harm her in anyway ever again!" Suddenly, Jesse lost all of his control and he punched Paul.

He watched as Paul fell to the floor. "Take your stupid briefcase and get out of here," Jesse told him, seething. "I don't want to see you, and I don't want you around when I find her."

"I am not leaving until-" Paul protested.

Jesse interrupted him grabbing him by his shirt and shoving him and the briefcase toward the doors. "Get OUT of here!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Todd placed his arm around Lena as they stood around the police cars. She was deep in thought. "They're so sweet together, aren't they, huh?" she said absently.

"Hmm?" Todd questioned. He looked at her, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Nicholas and Kara," Lena laughed at his confused face. She leaned up, giving him an apologetic peck on the lips. "I could see how much it meant to him that she's still alive."

"I know how he feels," Todd said. He slipped both his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I couldn't imagine my life without you."

"Well, I am in your life," Lena smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I know," Todd leaned in closer, his own face smiling.

"And I don't see that changing for long, long time," Lena finished.

"I know, I know," Todd mumbled, then he captured her lips. They kissed passionately and longingly, never wanting to go this night ever again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Why did you leave the hotel without that girl?" Brad asked his younger brother.

"Because I didn't have a choice, okay?" David sighed, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "The firemen were dragging me out. I would've dug through with my bare hands to find her."

Helen stepped in. David was getting too upset. "David-hey-hey, look," Helen started, stopped, then decided to just forge ahead. Maybe a little distraction would help him a bit. "When was the last time you saw Suze?"

"Um, I don't know," David answered honestly, "She was by door with Paul before everything went crazy,…but then I think I saw her run after someone…away from the door. I don't know, I just wanted to get Molly out of there."

Everybody fell silent, looking at the hotel lobby and hoping that their daughter, stepsister, and friend will make it out of there alive, even Brad.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Paul walked out of the hotel, briefcase in hand. He hadn't wanted to leave without finding Suze. But it would have upset her if he and Jesse had gotten into it right in front of her. She doesn't need to be upset when she has to focus on recovering from her….injury. So, he left. Not because de Silva told him to. No. He walked over to the police commissioner and district attorney. Paul fully intended on handing the briefcase over, a plan intact in his head.

"Hey, first's things first," Paul didn't waste any time in jumping right in, "How many gunmen did you catch."

"We've got two in custody right now," Tom answered, curious to know where this was leading. He caught a look at the briefcase in Paul's hands.

"You need to get checked out by the medics," Jake observed, though he was looking at the briefcase.

"There's a triage area over there," Tom added, pointing off to an alley, "There's food and water."

"Ok, first, Tom," Paul began, "Diego got away during the last collapse. The cops should be looking for a tall, Spanish man with dark hair and dark eyes. Now, he's armed, but he didn't get what he came for because I have the briefcase." Paul held it up and handed it over to the district attorney.

Jake examined the briefcase, looking at from every angle. "It's still armed," Jake observed, "How is that possible?"

"Diego opened the case to check the contents," Paul explained, "He must've rearmed it."

"Well, how could he do that?" Jake questioned, fingering the blinking light and keypad.

Paul took a deep breath. "Because I'm the one who put the briefcase in the vault," he revealed, "I know the code."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jess! Jess, are you in here?" Rob called, walking around the lobby. More debris fell once again. Rob ducked and then tripped getting out of the way of the falling objects. Before he picked himself up off the floor, he saw what looked like a face through a gap in a pile of rubble. "Hello? Can you hear me? Hello?"

Rob got to his knees, and started to dig through the rubble. He finally dug his way through to the body, finding a young girl with auburn hair and a pink hoodie. He checked her pulse, she was still alive. Rob moved behind her to get a better grip underneath her arms. He pulled her out of the rest of the debris. She groaned a little bit, but opened her eyes.

"I'm going to get you out of here," Rob whispered to her. As he went to pick her up, he saw a lot of blood. Molly had blood pouring from her right leg, and Rob noticed a piece of glass sticking out of her leg. "Right now." He scooped the girl up in his arms, carefully maneuvering around the debris so that he didn't drop her or fall again.

As he walked, Rob muttered, "You better be outside, Jess."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Todd ran up to the commissioner. "Hey, we just pulled out two more bodies, a man and a woman," he informed his boss.

Tom turned to another officer. "Alright, have headquarters run the prints," Tom nodded, "I want I.D.D."

"I'm going to look for more survivors," Todd said, and started to head off again.

Tom grabbed the young officer's arm, stopping him in his tracks. "No, you're not," Tom replied, "The last time you did that, you nearly got buried alive."

"Tom, I don't care," Todd argued, "There still might be people in there."

"Wait a second, wait a second," Tom shook his arm to get Todd to stop and listen to him. He told him, "The place is red-tagged. Nobody's going in until the engineers tell us it won't crash around our ears."

Todd looked back at the hotel, wondering how many people were still trapped inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The lobby was getting more and more unstable as debris started falling more frequently. Jesse coughed, covered his mouth on his sleeve, and coughed again. He didn't stop digging through the rubble, though. An overhead wire sparked, and a bunch of plaster and stuff fell, landing on Jesse's hand. His hand throbbed with pain.

Jesse sat back on his heels and examined the rubble. "Oh, Susannah, where are you," Jesse whispered. He looked slowly from side to side of the debris pile, not missing a section. He had searched all over this lobby; Susannah has to be here somewhere. "Please, show me where you are," Jesse pleaded. Ignoring the pain in his hand, he began digging again. A creaking sound called out from above him.

Then, he stopped. Something caught his eye over to his right. Jesse gazed at it curiously, his eyes narrowed. It was a hand, sticking out of the rubble. "Susannah? Susannah? Susannah?" Jesse called, going over to it. He took hold of the hand and it was cold. Jesse began to dig through to the body desperately. His heart nearly burst in relief at what he found.

It was her. "Susannah," Jesse breathed out, pulling her free of the rubble. "Oh, _querida_, I'm here." He pulled her to him, cradling her against him. A tear slipped down his cheek as he held onto his _querida, _no matter that she was still unconscious and showing no signs of waking up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CeeCee sat in the waiting room, waiting for Adam to come out of surgery. She sat with her hands in lap on the cushioned chair, watching the small television set up in the corner. She wasn't really watching it, partly because she was worried about Adam and partly because it was turned to the news. The news anchors were reiterating the hostage crisis that was now over and the search for survivors. The babies were restless and kicking every so often. CeeCee rubbed her belly and said soothing words like, "Everything's okay" or "Daddy's going to come back to us." It had help them, since they were now quiet, but she was still a bundle of nerves.

There was a quiet knock on the open door, and CeeCee immediately looked up. Dr. Brendan Cox stood in the doorway, wearing fresh scrubs. "How did the surgery go?" CeeCee asked, starting to stand up, though it was difficult being eight months pregnant.

Brendan motioned for her to stay seated as he came into the room. "The surgery went how I expected it to go," he explained, lowering himself down in a chair across from her. "We had a rough start, but we quickly and efficiently recovered. He lost a lot blood, so we had to give a blood transfusion. It was touch-and-go for a while, but he's still alive and we got the bullet out with no damage."

CeeCee breathed a deep sigh of relief. "He'll be okay, then?" she asked, "Is he awake? Can I see him?" She waited anxiously for the doctor's answers.

Brendan laughed, holding his hand up to slow her down. CeeCee bit her lip, apologetically. "Well, for the moment, he is okay," Brendan told her, "We're keeping him in the ICU for close observation, but he is out of immediate danger. And, yes, I can take you to see him now."

Brendan stood up, and helped CeeCee to her feet. Then, he led her out of the waiting room and down the hall, and around two corridors. He asked her how she was during the walk, and she responded appropriately, saying that she was a lot better now that she can finally put this night behind her and move on.

They arrived at the Intensive Care Unit, Brendan holding the door open for her. CeeCee followed him until he stopped at the third door on the right. "He's just coming out of the anesthesia, so he may not wake up right away," Brendan said, "A nurse will be in check him periodically, but I'll tell them to let you have some time with him first."

CeeCee smiled her thanks at him, and Brendan nodded, laying his hand comfortingly on her before he walked away. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the room, steeling herself to go in. She stepped into the room and saw Adam. He was hooked to machines, lying unconscious in the bed. CeeCee walked further into the room and sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"I'm so glad you're okay," CeeCee said, taking Adam's hand in hers. She'd just barely said five words and she already felt the tears welling up again. "You don't know how scared I was. When I saw them bring you out and there was so much blood, I….." She trailed off, smiling and her eyes glistening. "Well, that doesn't matter anymore," CeeCee finished, "You're fine, and we're all together now." She took Adam's hand and placed it on her belly, holding it there.

Keeping his hand on her belly, she laid her head down on his shoulder. She laid there for who knows how long, just soaking in the silence and comfort that everything was going to be alright.

Just then, a loud sound like a beeping started going off. CeeCee picked her head up with a start and glanced around to see what was happening. She looked at the machines and saw what was happening.

"No! No, no, please," CeeCee cried, jumping up from her chair, "Don't do this." She ran to the door and called down the hall. "Help! Somebody help!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Douglas glanced at the nurse getting Tasha ready for surgery. He kept a hold on her hand and leaned in closer to her. "You are so beautiful right now," he smiled, pushing some of her hair out of her face.

"Are you kidding me?" Tasha laughed, "This is not even my best look."

"You're too modest," Douglas laughed along with her. Then, they settled down, and grew serious. "Are you feeling sleepy yet?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

"No, I'm not too sleepy yet," Tasha admitted.

The nurse came over to unhook Tasha from the machine and medicine stands. He looked over his shoulder at her, then turned back to his wife. "Ok, I'll be in the room when you open your eyes," Douglas replied.

"Ok," Tasha blinked back tears. Douglas stood up, and leaned down to kiss her on her forehead. She took his face in both her hands and whispered, "You're my hero." They kissed one more time, and then it was time for Tasha to be taken to surgery.

Douglas stood back as the nurse began to wheel Tasha out of the room. He followed behind, stopping in the doorway and leaning against it. Running a hand across his eyes, clearing them, he stared after the bed until he no longer could.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You know the code," Jake repeated, incredulous. "Okay, well, what is it?"

Paul hesitated. It's now or never. "The code to the briefcase is…2-3-3-4-5-5," he lied, "That should unarm the briefcase and open it." Paul walked away after that, before the police opened it.

Jake looked down at the briefcase. He laid the briefcase on top of a police car and turned it so that he could put in the code. "2..3..3..4..5..5" he whispered. He pushed the button. There was a beeping sound, then the briefcase clicked open. Jake lifted the lid up, and black smoke filtered out. He stared at it.

The contents were now destroyed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Detective Rowlands walked up to the police with an update. "Hey, guys, almost everyone is accounted for," he relayed the message.

Jess overheard them. She walked over. "But my husband was in there," Jess said crossing her arms, "He still is."

Paul was also standing nearby, and heard the conversation. "Yeah, my friend is in there, too," Paul agreed.

"Look, as soon as we get the ok from the engineers, we'll send in a search team with dogs," Detective Rowlands shrugged, "But at this point, I don't see how anyone in the lobby could still be alive."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N:** I hope you liked it. Please tell me what you thought, please review!


	17. Survivors

**A/N:** Thank you again to everybody who reviewed! Every review is appreciated. I just wanted to let everybody know that I'm thinking of doing two sequels to this story, one for The Mediator and one for 1-800-Where-R-U. Anyone interested? While you think about that, here's the next chapter. Hmm,…wonder who else will survive? Hahaha.

Enjoy :)

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

The last occupied ambulance pulled away from the curb, and disappeared into the early morning, it's siren growing quieter and quieter. Another one pulled up in its' place. The medics were starting to wind down, since a lot of the hostages have been checked out already and no one else has come out of the hotel. The search-and-rescue dogs had arrived, and them and the officers were preparing to go back into the hotel.

Jake sat on the stoop of a building as his brother leaned against the stoop. Brad tapped his foot against the concrete, his arms crossed. "Dad says we should take David home," Brad broke the silence.

"I don't think he'd come with us even if we tried," Jake replied. Neither one made a move to do what their father said and take their younger brother home. They both watched the scene in front of them unfold further….

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CeeCee backed up against the wall, her hands covering her mouth to stifle her sobs as the doctor rushed in and a nurse pushing a crash cart. She watched as they prepped Adam, quickly and efficiently, and charged the machine. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion; the beeping of Adam's heart monitor the only sound to be heard. She couldn't seem to do anything else but stand there, watching.

The doctor charged him once…twice….three times. Then, the monitor evened out and Adam was alive. The doctor stood up straight, breathing a sigh of relief and wiping his brow. The nurse gathered up the equipment and wheeled it out of the room. CeeCee's sobs died away and she wiped her tears away as she pushed herself off the wall. The doctor turned away from Adam and toward CeeCee.

CeeCee took a few small steps forward. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked.

"He's going to be critical until he regains consciousness," the doctor told her, "For the moment, he's fine." He touched her arm reassuringly, and then left the room, closing the door behind him.

She took a deep breath and turned back to the bed. Waddling over, she settled herself back down in the chair. She picked up Adam's hand in both of hers.

"CeeCee…."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rob maneuvered himself and Molly out the lobby door. Adjusting so that he had a stronger hold on the younger girl, he made a beeline toward the triage area. "Help!" Rob called, "She needs help over here!" Reaching the triage area, he laid her down on an empty gurney.

David rushed up, having seen Molly come out. He stood beside her on the gurney. He looked at the man who had brought her out. "Where did you find her?" he asked.

"She was under a bunch of rubble," Rob explained, wiping dust off his face as he caught his breath after his run. "She's got glass in her leg. I think she lost a lot of blood." He spoke to the doctor who had approached them.

"Get back so we can examine the patient," the doctor ordered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The police sirens whirred through the early morning. Helen turned from the ruined lobby into her husbands' loving arms. She couldn't bare to look at that building anymore; couldn't look at it without thinking of her daughter lying broken and battered and alone in there. Andy rubbed his hands up and down on her arms and on her back.

"Hey," Andy soothed, puling her back so that he could look at her. "It's only been a couple hours. I'm sure there's going to be more survivors."

"If Suzie's is still in there, why hasn't she come out yet?" Helen questioned.

"I don't know," Andy admitted, "Maybe she's trapped or something. She's got to be under some debris."

"What are the odds of someone surviving a blast like that?" Helen continued, "A lot of people got out, but that doesn't mean everybody will survive. What if Suzie is one of the ones who don't-"

Andy held a finger to her lips, stopping her tirade. "Look, I know you are really worried about her, and it's really hard for you to stand out here and wait," he said, "but we have to keep our hopes up, ok? That's all we have."

Helen nodded and hugged him again.

A few feet down, Paul leaned against a police cruiser. He was desperately wishing for Suze to come out of the hotel lobby alive. While he was standing there, he overheard two police officers talking.

"Yes, we spotted a man fitting Diego's description a few streets down," one of them said.

Paul stood up straight, and suddenly knew what he had to do. He was going to end this, for Suze. _I'm going to find that bastard and make him pay, _he thought as he left the crime scene in a hurry.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rob stepped back to give the doctor room to work. He felt proud for being able to get the girl out in time. Now, if only…..Rob looked around the surrounding area. He looked around for Jess; she had to be out here.

"Rob!"

He spun around at the sound of the voice, and Jess threw herself in his arms. Her arms wound around his neck, her face burrowing in his shoulder, and melding her body to the shape of his. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you," she whispered.

"Oh, I think I do," Rob muttered, pulling apart a bit. He placed his index finger underneath her chin and tilted it up. He bent his head down and kissed her. They kissed passionately, gripping on to each other with urgency. All too quickly, Rob ended the kiss by pulling back and taking a good look at her. He pushed her hair back from her face. "How are you? Are you good?" he asked, his hand brushed her stomach, his eyes lingering there.

Jess waited until he looked back up at her. "I'm fine-we're fine," she assured him, "I made it out before the explosion, and warned the police. But, obviously, it wasn't enough." She glanced back at the hotel.

"Hey, hey," Rob replied, looking her in the eyes. "You did great." He pulled her into another hug. Rob looked over her shoulder and saw her father slowly approaching them, not wanting to interrupt their happy reunion.

"Glad to see you are okay," Joe said, patting Rob on the shoulder. "You did good in there."

Rob nodded his appreciation. "I would do anything for her," he smiled, his arm over Jess' shoulder. His other hand came to rest on her flat belly. "And our baby." Jess couldn't help the smile that overtook her face, and looked up at him. He gave her a sweet peck on the lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is she going to be okay?" David asked the doctor, from where he stood next to Molly's head. He stood as out of the way as he could without moving to far away from her. He watched the doctor anxiously.

Dr. Hastings checked over Molly's still unconscious body. "We're giving her blood and fluids," she answered, just barely looking at him before going back to work.

"That doesn't answer the question," David said.

Dr. Hastings sighed and looked up. "The glass that was embedded her leg severed an artery," she explained, resting her hands on the side of the gurney. "If she wasn't found when she was, she might have bled to death. Now, she suffered significant muscle damage. But with time and physical therapy, she should make a full recovery."

"I'm staying with her," David insisted as they began wheeling Molly to the ambulance.

Andy, Helen, Jake, and Brad arrived just in time to hear the last part of the conversation. "Hold on, hold on," Andy pulled David to a stop. "You're not going there by yourself."

Helen got between them, giving David a little push toward the ambulance. "Go, honey," she replied, "Andy, go with him. "I'll find Suzie and meet you at the hospital." Andy hugged her, and then she pushed him after David. She turned back around and saw Jake heading for the hotel.

"Jake, no, no, no, no, no!" Helen caught up to him and grabbed his arm. Then, she did the totally unexpected. "I'm going with you; I have to find Suzie!"

Jake started to shake his head.

"Please?" she pleaded.

"Ok," Jake nodded. They both started walking again to the lobby, but Detective Rowlands stepped in front of them, preventing them from going any farther.

"You can't go in there," Detective Rowlands explained, "The Fire Marshall's declared the structure unstable."

"Are you kidding me?" Helen exclaimed, "My daughter's in there!"

Rowlands held his hands out to calm her down. "It's all right," he reassured, "We'll be sending the search dogs in there. Now, but at this point, there may not be any more survivors."

Helen covered her mouth with her hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ambulance bumped down the road as it drove to the hospital as fast as it could. The paramedics did all they could for Molly, with the equipment that they had. They made sure she was stable and gave her fluids. David sat on the small bench seat on one side; Andy sat across from him.

"David?…" Molly's frail voice whispered, her head turning to the side and her eyes half open.

David leaned forward and took the frightened girl's hand. "I'm right here," he whispered back to her. She found him, but it seemed like she was struggling to keep her eyes open. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alive," Molly mumbled, her lips cracking as she tried to smile.

"Yeah, ok," David said, then told her, "We're going to get you to the hospital, and patch up your leg. You're going to be just fine, good as new." He pushed up his glasses with the hand that wasn't holding Molly's.

Molly smiled weakly at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The waiting room was a tense silence. The small television was turned low with the closed captioning on. Tasha was taken to follow-up surgery, and not long after, Mike was taken to surgery. Toni sat in a chair with her oldest son, her arm wrapped around him to comfort him, stop him from thinking negative thoughts.

"Well, it's a waiting game now," Toni said.

There was nothing else to say. Everything that could have been said, was said already. They lapsed back into silence. There was a quiet knock on the open door. Toni looked up to see Ruth Abramowitz standing in the doorway, leaning on a pair of crutches.

"Hi, Mrs. Mastriani," Ruth greeted, quietly but politely. Her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose, and she reached up to fix them. Toni got up and went over to her, holding on to her so she didn't wobble.

"Sweetheart, come in, come in," Toni said, "Sit down." She followed Ruth as she hobbled over to a seat. As Ruth lowered herself down in a chair, Toni took the crutches and leaned them against an end table stacked with magazines. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt?" Toni sat down in her previous seat.

"I'm fine," Ruth replied, "It's not as bad as it was before. The pain is still there, just not as intense." She adjusted herself in the chair, stretching her injured leg out in front of her. "I actually wanted to see how Mikey is."

Toni smiled sweetly at her. "He's doing really well," she explained, "They just took him to surgery, a little bit after Tasha was taken."

"Oh, how is Tasha?" Ruth asked, turning to Douglas. "She okay?"

Douglas picked his head up from his hands. He forced a half-smile. "Yeah, yeah, she's doing good," he replied, "Dr. Cox took her to surgery to remove the bullet. They say it's fairly simple, that she's already been through the hard part…"

Ruth nodded. "They're right, you know," she agreed, going for reassurance. "If she can survive twelve hours in a hostage situation with bullet wound, then Tasha can make it through this."

"Let's hope so," Douglas sighed, and dropped his head back into his hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"..Jesse…"

"I'm right here, _mi amor_," Jesse whispered, holding her and pushing a lock of hair out of her dusty but beautiful face. "Right here, _querida_, I'm going to get you out of here." _She is very pale and losing a lot of blood,_ Jesse thought as he gathered his legs underneath him and slipped his arms around Susannah. He stood up, adjusted his hold, and figured out which way would take him outside.

It was very dark in the hallway adjacent to the lobby. More dust hung in the air making it even harder to see. Suze gripped Jesse's shirt in her hand, but it was a weak grip. She felt like she was wrapped in cotton; everything seemed so distant, even Jesse.

"Susannah, _me miran, querida,_ look at me," Jesse urged, picking a direction and started walking. "Just hold on, okay. Keep your eyes open; keep fighting." He picked up his pace, though he wasn't sure if he was going the right way.

"I-I lo-" Suze stumbled over the words before Jesse stopped her.

"Shhh," Jesse shushed her. He knew what she was trying to say, but he wasn't going to let her. It meant that she would be saying goodbye and giving up, and he wasn't going to let her do that. She was surviving this; Jesse would make sure of that or die trying.

"Save your strength, _querida_," Jesse told her. Suze didn't say anything, her head just lolled over his arm. She was still breathing, he was sure. Jesse looked back up and stopped mid-step. He looked all around him. "_Nombre de dios, no puedo ver nada. ¿Dónde está la puerta?_" Jesse muttered.

Jesse pressed on, knowing he couldn't waste to much time standing around. He walked a few steps forward before he heard something that made his heart drop.

_Creeeaak._

_Creeeaaak._

The sound came from right beneath his feet. Jesse gulped, fear tightening in his chest, and before he could react, the floor collapsed from under his weight. He and Susannah fell down the elevator shaft, falling…falling….

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm so happy you're okay," CeeCee repeated. She was lying on half the hospital bed, cuddled into Adam. Her head lay on his shoulder as his hand rubbed circles on her belly.

"You said that already," Adam laughed, "I should be the one asking how you are."

CeeCee laughed with him. "Oh, after being shot, trapped in a hotel lobby when it exploded, had emergency surgery, and almost died less than a half hour ago," she replied, "You're right, I shouldn't have been worrying about you." CeeCee's laughs dried up, as she became serious. "But I was.." she whispered.

"I'm sorry," Adam murmered above the spot right above her right ear, then kissed it. The arm that was around her tightened just a little bit. "You are feeling better, right?"

CeeCee turned her head to look at him. She grinned. "We're all fine," she answered. Adam leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and sweet, but very much filled with passion. CeeCee pulled back a little bit and sighed, feeling bad about ruining the moment but she couldn't help it.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked, his brows knitting together in confusion.

"Well…" CeeCee began, sitting up and turning to face Adam. She took a deep breath. "During the whole time that I was waiting for you to come out, Suze didn't come out either. For all we know, she could still be in there."

"Hey, hey, Suze is tough," Adam consoled, rubbing her arm. "She's going to come out of this."

"But what if she's hurt or something?" CeeCee continued, "How can I be happy when she's still stuck in there?"

Adam pulled her gently back down, and gave her a nice, reassuring hug.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The red emergency light was blaringly bright in the elevator where Suze and Jesse had landed after their fall. Jesse picked his head up, blinked a few times, and pushed himself up on his elbows. He looked around and up, surveying his surroundings. The elevator seemed to be in pretty good shape, but there was probably a whole lot of debris on top of them. Jesse finally looked around and found a pair of emerald green eyes staring back at him.

Suze was lying on her side about less than a foot away from him. Jesse had tried to position himself so that she would land on him instead of the floor, but she must have rolled away upon impact. She was breathing raspily, and still very pale. Her hand reached out to him, slowly, shakily.

"Susannah." Jesse immediately got up and went over to her. "No, no, no, don't move. Don't move," he told her, taking her hand in his. Jesse pulled her to him, leaning her against the wall. He checked her leg; it was still bleeding. "I need to stop the bleeding," Jesse whispered.

Without another thought, Jesse shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around Suze's leg. "Susannah, talk to me," Jesse prodded, "How do you feel? Can you feel anything?"

Suze moaned. "Ahh, the pain isn't as bad as it was," she croaked. She shifted a little bit, getting the pressure of her left leg. "It's almost like it's coming from faraway."

"Okay, you're in shock right now," Jesse explained, undoing his belt. Taking it off, he placed it around her leg and tightened it, holding the jacket in place. Jesse saw her grit her teeth against the pain he just caused her. "I'm sorry, but it's going to help stop the bleeding," Jesse apologized, cupping her cheek.

"I'm going to try to see if I can find a way out of here," Jesse said, stroking her cheek, "I know you're probably going to start to feel sleepy, but I need you to stay awake, ok?"

Suze nodded.

Jesse crawled on his knees over to the call box. It was a useless effort, but he had to try everything. Opening the call box, he held the phone and punched the buttons. Dead. Jesse stood up and examined the ceiling. He tried to figure out how much debris was on top of them.

Suze coughed, clearing her throat. "H-how did you-did you find me?" she asked, following him with her eyes.

"I don't know really," Jesse looked down at her. "I wasn't going to stop until I found you."

Suze smiled at him, holding out her hand to him. Jesse took it and sat down beside her. "I love you," Suze whispered, then kissed his lips softly. They pulled apart soon after. She leaned her forehead against his. "Any idea what happens now?" Suze asked.

"I guess maybe we try to call for help and hope someone hears us," Jesse replied.

Suddenly, both of their gazes shot upward as they heard footsteps and the sound of debris being moved. Jesse jumped to his feet. "Hello? Can you hear us?" he called, "There's a woman with a gunshot wound trapped down here!"

A few, long, agonizing seconds ticked by.

"We hear you!" a voice called back.

Suze leaned her head back against the wall with a slight smile as Jesse sighed with relief. "Ok, we're in an elevator," Jesse explained, "I think we might be in the basement. Um, the doors are jammed."

"Alright, can we get your names?" the man yelled back.

"Susannah Simon and Jesse de Silva," Jesse answered.

"Ok, listen, there's a lot of debris on top of this car," the man said, "Sit tight while we get some equipment in here."

It was quiet after that. Suze looked into Jesse's dark chocolate eyes. "We made it!" she told him, smilingly, "We're going to be okay!"

Jesse watched her, hoping that would be true.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is ridiculous," Rob stated, feigning irritation. "I'm fine. I don't need to be checked out." He was in the triage area with Jess, who demanded he get checked over. Dr. Hastings had told them to just take a seat, and she'd be with them soon. She was treating other patients at the moment. Rob had tried to use that as an excuse to walk away, but Jess wasn't letting him get out of it.

"Hey, I sat here quietly and let the doctor poke and prodd me," Jess told him. She pushed him back down on the gurney when he tried to stand up to leave. "Sit there, _quietly_, and the let the doctor help you."

"I think I'm going to need a little more persuasion," Rob flirted, grabbing for her waist. Jess skipped out of his reach, but Rob managed to grab her anyway. He pulled her to him and settled her between his legs. Jess slid her hands up his arms and settled them behind his neck. Leaning forward, Rob planted his lips on hers and fused them together. They kissed like that for several minutes, before he parted her lips and his tongue slipped inside. The passion burned between them, causing them to press closer together.

Jess pressed the pause button first. She pulled back just an inch, her fingers playing in his hair. "The doctor is going to be over here any minute," she whispered, still yearning for the feel of his lips. "I don't think we should give her a show."

"I don't see her coming," Rob grinned, leaning in to kiss her again.

Jess turned her head slightly and kissed his cheek. She stepped out of his embrace, and moved off to the side of the gurney. Dr. Hastings walked up to them, then, with an apologetic smile on her face.

"I'm sorry for the wait," Dr. Hastings said.

"It's okay," Rob replied, "This is just an unnecessary precaution." He looked pointedly at Jess, who just shook her head at him.

Still smiling, Jess walked a little bit away so that she wouldn't get in the doctor's way. She stood by a few police officers. They were busy discussing police protocol and didn't pay attention to her. Jess was watching Rob, not letting him out of her sight, so when somebody tapped her shoulder, she jumped a little bit.

"You're the woman who climbed out of the hotel and warned the police," a reporter announced when she turned around, and a microphone and camera were shoved into her face.

Before Jess could say something, Detective Rowlands came up from behind them. "Yeah, this Jessica Wilkins," the detective answered, "She's the reason we were able to storm the hotel in time to save the hostages."

"Ok, I don't want to do this," Jess protested, turning and trying to walk away.

"It's going to come out sooner or later, Jess," Detective Rowlands told her, "You saved a lot of lives. You're a hero."

Detective Rowlands walked away, and the reporter pushed in next to Jess and spoke to the camera. "I'm here with Jessica Wilkins, the courageous hostage who made a daring escape and warned police of the impending explosion," the man reported. He turned to Jess, pushing the microphone to her. "Jess, you saved many people's lives today. Tell us what happened."

"Um-well, I," Jess stammered, the light from the camera causing her to shield her eyes a bit. "I was just fortunate enough to have been able to sneak away from the lobby. And-um-look, I was just trying to help. I am not a hero. I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time. Thank you."

Jess walked away from the reporter and cameraman to where Rob was standing at the edge of the triage area. She took his hand, and they both walked away, together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I didn't realize how scared I was," Suze admitted, her head still leaning against the elevator wall. "I'm going to be so glad to just get home."

Jesse moved over to her, and slid down the wall to sit beside her. "Yeah, listen, it's going to take a while to dig us out," he told her, pushing her hair out of her face. Jesse was half listening to the workers above them, willing them to go faster. He didn't know how much longer Susannah could last. She was getting weaker.

"Are you okay?" Suze asked, her head dropping onto his shoulder. She had been staring at him intently, and could see the wheels in his head turning rapidly.

"I'm fine," Jesse nodded, kissing her temple. "I was just really worried and scared that I wouldn't find you. Nobody could tell me to stop looking; I was like a crazy man. I don't know what I'd do if-"

"Shhh," Suze shushed him. She would have pressed a finger to his lips, but her hands felt to heavy to even pick up. "There's no n-need to talk like that….I'm still here." Her words were starting to jumble together, and her eyelids were drooping.

Jesse pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. "Please hold on, Susannah," he whispered into her chestnut brown hair. "Just hold on a little longer."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Paul walked down the street, reaching the area where the police had said Diego was last spotted. He ducked down a dark and quiet alley, the gun poised and ready in front of him. Diego wasn't around. "Damn it," Paul muttered, "I'm going to find you. Ugh!" Paul was shoved hard to the ground, dropping the gun. When he turned over, Diego was standing above him and holding the gun on him.

"Dear, dear, dear-very sloppy, sloppy work, Mr Slater," Diego tsked, shaking his head. "But I'm most grateful for the weapon."

"You're never going to get away," Paul snapped back. He could attempt to get up, but Diego would for sure shoot him. Could he risk it?

"Oh, aren't I?" Diego retorted, then chuckled, "And, let me just tell you, I am sorry. I think I stepped over Susannah's body as I was going out the building."

Paul felt like he was just kicked in the stomach.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Suze had just drifted into unconsciousness when Jesse heard the workers and the shifting of debris stop. Jesse listened for anything, waiting to hear them. "Keep fighting, _querida_, just keep fighting," he murmered, "Don't you quit on me. _Te amo, querida_."

Suze didn't move, her breathing still a little shallow.

"You ok in there?" a firefighter called down to them.

"No!" Jesse called back, "We need to get out of here now."

"Ok, ok, we got the hatch clear, but the debris in the elevator shaft is pretty unstable," the firefighter explained, "So, we've got to do this fast."

"Alright, you're going to take Susannah first," Jesse told them.

"Okay, we'll send down a harness," the firefighter said. Then, they were silent as they got to work.

"It's time to go," Jesse whispered to Suze. He got up on his knees to get ready to get the harness to strap her in. First, Jesse leaned back down and kissed her forehead, both cheeks, then finally her lips. "We're going to make it through this."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Suze is dead?" Paul didn't believe it, especially if it was coming out of Diego's mouth.

"Most of the office corridor collapsed, and she was crushed under a support beam," Diego told him, enjoying the pain he was inflicting on him. "If it's any comfort, I don't believe she suffered."

Paul started to sit up slowly. "You better put that bullet in my heart on the first shot, or I'm going to break your neck," Paul seethed, gritting his teeth.

Diego cracked a smile. The gun rang out in the early morning air.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh my God, there she is!" Helen exclaimed, as she caught sight of her daughter being wheeled out of the hotel on a stretcher. She ran over to her, and began walking alongside the stretcher with the paramedics. "How is she?"

"She's lost a sufficient amount of blood from a gunshot wound to the leg," a paramedic answered. They stopped in the triage area for minute to take Suze's vitals.

Helen gasped.

"…Jesse…" Suze drifted in and out of consciousness, unsure of her new surroundings.

"He's coming out behind you," a paramedic reassured her, "He asked that we get you out first." The paramedic finished writing medical stats down. "Okay, we need to get her to the hospital. ASAP," he ordered.

Jesse stepped out of the hotel, breathing in the fresh air.

Jake walked up beside him, clapping him on the back. "You did good, man," Jake applauded him. "You got my sister out in one piece."

"Thank you," Jesse politely said. His determined stride kept him going all the way to where Susannah was being loaded into an ambulance. As he walked, he had only one thought:

_It's all over._

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's it. I'm just kidding, there is just an epilogue left. Plus, the sequels if any of you want them. Please review!


	18. Epilogue

**A/N:** I just want to say thank you one more time to everybody who reviewed and supported this story. I have enjoyed writing this story as much as all you have enjoyed reading it. I hope you all will read the sequels. Now, it's been a long time, but here is the ending to Unforeseen Events.

Enjoy

* * *

**Epilogue**

The smell of Lysol and disinfectant filled her nose as she walked down the hospital corridor. She followed the directions the nurse at the main desk had given her. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say once she got to his room, but she just knew she had to see him. Suze turned one more corner, her steps noticeably slowing. She didn't know how he was going to react to seeing her, whether he was going to be his usual self or….

Suze shook her head, clearing away that thought. 318...319...320...321... She stopped outside room 322, preparing herself to go in. Suze peeked in through the window in the door. He was lying in the hospital bed, the bed sheets pulled up to his waist so that she could see that his chest was bare and he had a thick bandage taped to his chest. His blue eyes were focused on the small television mounted to the ceiling, so he didn't seem to notice her looking through the window.

She turned away from the window, feeling the start of tears build behind her eyes. It has been about a day since the hostage crisis, but everything still seemed so fresh in her mind. Suze was released just this morning with her mother and Jesse both escorting her, more like hovering. She had been stable enough when they got to the hospital that she was rushed straight into surgery. They got the bullet out of her leg, but she also had to have a blood transfusion since she lost a lot of blood.

Taking a deep breath, Suze touched the door handle and pushed the door open slowly. The door squeaked a little bit against the white tile floor, breaking his concentration from the news program on the TV. He smiled when he saw her, turned the volume down, then tossed the remote onto the food tray on the side of the bed.

"Hi," Suze greeted, softly. She limped closer, stopping at the foot of the bed.

"Hey," Paul croaked, then cleared his voice. "I wasn't expecting to see you, though I was hoping you'd stop by." He hoisted himself up further against the pillows, grunting a little from the tightening of his stitches in his chest. "Hey, you shouldn't be standing. Sit down."

As Suze looked him over, she was reminded of how everything that Paul had done and been through the other day was for her. "I'm feeling a lot better," Suze replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. She stretched her leg out. "It's just a little stiff."

"I'm sorry," Paul said, after watching her for a few minutes. "I thought I had a good aim on him, and then he moved-"

"No, this is not all your fault," Suze told him, "You kept telling me to go and I was being stubborn. I just didn't want to leave you there with him by yourself."

"It's not just that; it's the whole thing," Paul explained. He leaned his head back on the pillow. After a minute, he picked his head back up and looked at her. "The only reason that Diego took that whole lobby hostage is because I was arrogant enough to think no one would be able to get those pages from that vault. I should have just burned them."

"Don't put this all on yourself," Suze replied, "You couldn't have predicted that Diego was going to do this. You did everything you could and more to give everyone of those hostages a chance to survive. Paul, you volunteered to stay behind so that the others could go free."

"It's nice to know you think so highly of me," Paul smirked, but it was a small one.

"It's the truth," Suze told him.

They fell into silence after that. Suze fiddled with a loose thread on the blanket as she avoided Paul's gaze. She could feel him staring at her. She began to feel self-conscious, remembering how Paul had revealed his feelings for her the other day. Suze was suddenly unsure if this was a really good idea. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea about her coming here; she needed to set things straight.

"Paul, you should know-" Suze began.

Paul held his hand up to stop her. "You don't need to say anything; I already know," he told her. His throat was dry, so he had to take a drink of water from the cup on the table before he could continue. "Suze, I just had to say all of that. I wanted you to know how I felt, so that maybe you wouldn't hate me. Now, I know you love Jesse and you're going to be with him. I don't want to screw that up, so I'm going…."

"What are you-"

"No, I've thought this through," Paul interrupted her. "I'm going to Seattle after I get out of here, see my parents and my brother. I'm going to need some time to figure out what I'm going to do."

"Are you sure?" Suze asked.

Paul nodded, "I'm about 95% sure. I have to do this."

Suze nodded as well. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she stood up. "I should actually go," Suze said. As a last-minute thought, she leaned down and gave Paul a hug. It surprised him at first, but he returned the hug. "I do care about you," Suze whispered to him, "Take care."

She pulled back, and gave him one last smile. Suze turned toward the door. Paul watched as she walked away and disappeared out of sight. He leaned his head back with a sigh. It was hard to watch her go, but he knew that he had to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We are really happy to have Emily get into this school."

Douglas sat at his desk in his office in the Alternative High School for Gifted Students. A man wearing a pressed light blue shirt and black pants and a woman in a rose-colored sweater dress with small black high-heeled boots sat across from him. A teenage girl sat between them. She was a bit more casual in black skinny jeans, a red-and-white-striped knit top, and red ballet flats. The Pierces had just moved to town, and had heard about the school.

"Well, the semester has only just started and from her records, she should have no problem catching up in her classes," Douglas said, closing Emily's file and placing it aside. "I'll talk to her teachers and have her schedule ready for her on Monday."

"Thank you so much," Emily smiled, standing up alongside her parents. They took turns shaking Douglas' hand.

"Yes, thank you," Mrs. Pierce repeated, thanking him with deep sincerity.

Douglas escorted them to the door. "We're happy to have Emily here," Douglas told them. "AHS is a great school, and I know she'll have a great experience here. See you on Monday." He smiled at the couple and their daughter once more, and closed the door behind them as they left his office.

He walked back to his desk and fell into the chair with a sigh. Douglas had decided to come back to work to keep things normal. To put the whole hostage crisis in the past. It has helped a lot, except in times when there isn't a lot to do. It starts to creep back in, and soon he's calling Tasha to check on her. The doctors released her from the hospital with strict instructions to stay on bed rest.

Needing something to do, he busied himself with Emily's file. She was fifteen and entering the sophomore class. He placed her file in the cabinet with the rest of the sophomore students. Douglas, then, logged on to his computer, and pulled up the sophomore classes and teachers. Normally, this would be a task for the guidance counselor, but his guidance counselor was at home recuperating from a gunshot wound.

He was halfway through setting up Emily's schedule when his office phone began ringing. Douglas finished typing, and picked up the phone.

"Alternative High School, Principal Mastriani speaking," Doug said into the receiver.

"You're so formal when you're in work mode," came the reply, in the sweet, beautiful voice he recognized.

Douglas leaned back in his chair, a smile spreading upon his face. "You are supposed to be resting," he told her, "There better be a medical reason for this call."

"I am resting, I'm on the couch right now," Tasha laughed. Her laugh rang through the phone, singing to his soul. "I'm actually going through some paperwork for the school and I-"

"Hey, you're not supposed to be working," Douglas scolded her.

"Shush, you're going to be happy I am," Tasha explained, sobering up. "I found this paper that was sent to us during the…." She trailed off.

A silence fell as they both knew what she was about to say. Douglas couldn't help the horrible images that flooded his mind. Tasha being shot; her lying on that couch, bleeding. Jess provoking the ring leader at every turn. Mike getting shot.

"Anyway," Tasha continued, bringing him back to the present. "It says that we're losing money for the school. With the city splitting money between the regular schools and this one, we're not getting as much as we need. Dougie, I'm afraid we might lose the school."

Douglas had sat up straighter, his elbow leaning on the desk. "We are not going to lose the school," he assured her. "We just need to figure out a way to raise money."

"You make it sound so simple," Tasha said.

"Because it is that simple," Douglas replied, "All we need is an idea, and I'm sure we can get the students and teachers to help us with the rest of the stuff."

"You really want to do this?" Tasha asked him. She could hear his enthusiasm through the phone, and the more she thought about it, the more she thought it could work. Then, an idea came to her and it just started building from there.

"I know what we can do," Tasha said, happily. "A carnival."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The doctor's office was not that crowded. It held one other couple, the woman in her early stages of her pregnancy. There was a woman with short brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, with a five-year-old little girl, who ran to her every five minutes to wipe her nose. Lastly, there was a young woman with a baby girl in an infant carrier. Adam and CeeCee were among them, awaiting their last appointment before the babies come.

"Are you nervous?" Adam asked. He was leaning forward, with his elbows resting on his knees.

"A little," CeeCee admitted, resting her hands on top of her belly. She was about as comfortable as she could get with her belly bulging out in front of her. "Mostly, I'm just hungry."

Adam laughed. "We'll go get something for lunch after this, okay?" he suggested.

CeeCee nodded, watching as the door to the examination rooms opened. She was hoping it was her doctor, but a nurse came out and called for the five-year-old. The girl and her mother followed the nurse down the hall and the door shut with a click.

"We should be next," Adam guessed, seeing her disappointment.

"I hope so," CeeCee said, "I'm getting restless; I'm so excited."

Adam leaned close to her, his hand sliding on to her leg, to whisper in her ear. "Just a few more weeks," he said, pushing her white blond hair behind her ear

CeeCee smiled at the thought of seeing her babies in just a few weeks. It was hard to imagine that they'll be here physically as opposed to being inside her. One of the twins kicked on her left side. She rubbed the spot, thinking that that one has been active all morning while the other has been quiet.

Adam's hand brushed hers on the spot of her belly where the baby had kicked. She laced their fingers together as Adam leaned closer to kiss her. Before they could, however, they heard the squeak of a door opening and CeeCee's name called.

Adam smiled at her, and helped her to her feet. Together, they walked over to the doctor and followed her down the hall. The doctor made small talk with them as they walked. "So, how are you feeling?" Dr. Ellie Grove asked.

"Uh, excited, nervous," CeeCee answered, "Maybe a little bit anxious."

Dr. Grove smiled. They reached the room, and the doctor held the door open, ushering them inside. She instructed CeeCee to sit up on the bed. Adam sat down on the stool next to her. Dr. Grove, then, proceeded to give CeeCee a thorough check-up. She had to check to make sure CeeCee was in good health going into the birth.

"Okay, now let's take a look at the babies," Dr. Grove announced, pulling the ultrasound cart over.

Adam took CeeCee's hand, and they both smiled at each other before turning to the doctor. CeeCee pulled her shirt up, revealing her belly so that the doctor could do the procedure. The ultrasound machine was on and ready. Ellie squirted the cold goop on CeeCee's belly, then she began moving the wand around her belly.

It took several minutes for the doctor to locate one of the twins. When she did, she pointed to the screen for CeeCee and Adam. "Here is baby one, right over here," Ellie pointed out, "He looks to be in a good position. His head is facing down toward the birth canal."

Dr. Grove grew quiet again as she searched for the other twin. CeeCee tried to ignore the sudden fear that was gnawing at her. It was taking the doctor longer to find the second one than it did for the first one. What if something happened? Did something happen due to the trauma she was in two days ago that was just showing up now? She didn't want to have those thoughts, but they kept attacking her. The concern on Dr. Grove's face was scaring her the most.

CeeCee felt a pressure on her hand, and squeezed Adam's hand back. She knew he was feeling the same way, but wasn't showing it. "Is anything wrong?" she asked, though not really sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Ellie didn't look at her right away. "Maybe if I…." she trailed off, murmuring to herself. She turned the wand and moved it again. Dr. Grove soon let out a deep breath; though, CeeCee didn't know if it was relief or not. "Ok, here we go," Ellie said.

"Is everything okay?" CeeCee repeated.

"Yes, everything is fine," Dr. Grove reported, "I am sorry if I scared you. I couldn't find baby 2. She's hiding behind her brother."

CeeCee nodded, releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"There is one small concern," Ellie explained, "It's nothing to really worry about, but it could become an issue during the delivery. Baby 2 is in the wrong position; she is feet first instead of head first. Now, there is still time for her to turn around so I'm not really worried."

"All you need to know is that you have two very healthy babies."

Adam and CeeCee looked at each other in relief and anticipation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Home sweet home," Rob said as he pulled the truck into the driveway. "It's weird, but I didn't think I would see this place again."

"I know exactly how you feel," Jess agreed, "After everything that has happened, we can come back here, away from that place and all its' bad memories. We can put it all in the past and move on."

Rob looked over at her and smiled. "We have a good reason to move on," he added. His hand came up and rested on her flat stomach. Jess put her hand on top of his.

They had just come from the doctor's office for their first appointment. It was just to confirm the pregnancy, check how far along Jess was (6 weeks), and get an estimate of when the baby will be due (September 5). The doctor gave Jess her prenatal vitamins, and also told them what to expect in the first trimester.

Rob kissed her, cupping her face between his hands. It wasn't that long, but it was still a sweet, tender moment after all the heartache they've been through in the last few days. They finally got out of the truck, and Jess began walking to the house.

"I'm just going to check on things in the barn," Rob told her, pecking her on the cheek before letting go of her hand.

"Okay, but don't take too long," Jess replied, pecking his lips. "You can start the work again tomorrow." Jess walked away after that, muttering something about being hungry.

Rob made his way to the barn that he had converted into a motorcycle repair shop. He had told Jess that he wanted to check on things, make sure the bikes were in order for when his customers came to pick them up. It was true. But, actually, he really just wanted some time alone to think about things. Opening the door, Rob walked in and wandered over to his workbench.

He had never really thought about children before. They were always just a faint, faraway thought. However, with Jess, he kind of liked the idea of a child with a little bit of each of them running around. It brought a smile to his face when he thought about it.

A son he could teach things to….

"_Here, daddy." A small voice called to him. Rob looked down to see a four-year-old little boy handing him a wrench. The boy had brown hair that fell over his eyes a little bit, and he had Jess's eyes. He had a big smile on his face, like he enjoyed helping his daddy work on the bikes. "Daddy, when we done, can we go for a ride?"_

Rob blinked and the image disappeared. Another image replaced it. A little girl who would look up at him with stars in her eyes….

"_Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" A little girl came bounding around the corner, her long dark hair flying behind her and her blue eyes shining. She stopped in front of him, a big smile on her face. "Do you like my new dress?" She spun and twirled in front of him, giggling the whole time. Rob couldn't help but laugh with her._

The daydream winked out, but Rob still had the image of the two children in his mind. He was still thinking about them as he organized his work.

_**Inside the house,**_

Jess busied herself with making herself an omelet. In her time alone, she was thinking about the baby. She may be the one carrying him or her, but it's all because of Rob that it is alive. If he hadn't had sent her out of the lobby when he did, then she would have been caught in the explosion and who knew what would have happened. Jess only wondered that if she had warned the police sooner, maybe the explosion wouldn't have happened.

She sighed, pouring the mixture into the skillet. It made a sound like gunfire when it hit the heat. _Everybody stay where you are! This is a robbery, cooperate and it will all be over in five minutes!_ She recalled the haunting voice so clearly that it was like he was right behind her. She knew he wasn't, but it's hard to forget something as big as a hostage crisis.

When the omelet was done, Jess turned the stove off and flipped the omelet onto a plate. She cleaned the skillet off and stuck it in the dishwasher. She cleaned up the rest of the stuff before she started on her omelet.

The phone rang just as she was wiping her hands off, and about to pour herself a glass of orange juice. She picked up the phone, sitting down at the table. "Hello?" Jess said into the receiver.

"Is this Jessica Mastriani?" a deep, matter-of-fact voice asked.

"Actually, it's Wilkins, I'm mar-" Jess corrected, but she was interrupted.

"Miss Mastriani, my name is George Hannigan," the man explained to her, "As the result of Dr. Cyrus Krantz's death, I will be taking over your case. Your valiant escape from the Sterling Star Hotel in Carmel, California is all over the news, and we-"

"I'm sorry, but you've been misinformed," Jess interrupted. Her heart was pounding; she thought this part of her life was over. "I don't work-"

"Save your excuses, miss," George replied, "I will see you Monday at our municipal building at 10:00 a.m." The phone clicked and the conversation was over.

All the color drained from her face, and her blood ran cold. She stared down at her plate, not even hungry anymore. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not ever again. The front door opened, then closed. Rob's footsteps could be heard in the entryway, but she didn't get up. She just kept replaying that phone conversation in her head over and over again.

"Jess?" Rob called. She could hear him coming closer. Her eyes were wide and she was still pale, plus she hadn't touched her food. He was instantly going to know something was wrong.

She was right. Rob came into the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. His smile vanished as he gave her a good long look. He rushed over to her, kneeling down next to her chair.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Rob asked her, worry evident in his voice. His hand touched her stomach as he looked up at her. Jess knew that he thought something was wrong with the baby. She put her hand on top of his, and tried to give him a reassuring smile. It didn't work out that well.

Jess finally found her voice. Though, what came out was just her confirming the truth. "The government is after me again."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Suze arrived back at her apartment late in the afternoon. Originally, she and CeeCee had been roommates, then CeeCee and Adam bought a house about a month after they were married. Now, Gina has become her unofficial roommate since the hostage crisis. It was a small two-bedroom apartment, but it was nice and cozy, though.

She slid her key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. She'd taken to locking the door whether she was coming or going. It probably wouldn't stopped an armed man, but it made her feel safer. After the hostage crisis, well, it's understandable. Suze set her keys and stuff down on the table, and limped into the living room, where Gina was lounging on the couch flipping through the channels. Her leg felt a lot better; she didn't feel any pain, but if she walked too long, particularly up and down stairs, the stitches began to ache.

Gina set the remote down on the end table, the TV stopping on a channel with an unknown movie playing. She scooted over, making room on the couch for Suze. "How are you feeling?" Gina asked.

"I'm feeling really good," Suze replied," My leg is just a little sore."

Gina nodded. "How did your visit with Paul go?" she asked, "You don't look upset, so was everything okay?"

"Yes, actually, it went very well," Suze explained, pulling her legs up on the couch and faced her best friend. "He looked a lot better than when they first brought him in. I think he's being released tomorrow. He's going back to Seattle." She said the last part quietly.

Gina place her bottle of water on the table after taking a drink. "Really?" She glanced at the television, furrowed her brow at it, then turned back to Suze.

"I think he finally gets that I love Jesse and my feelings are not going to change," Suze said. She looked down at the couch. "I just feel bad about him leaving. He's leaving, because he doesn't want to see me with Jesse."

"Suze, he needs time to get over you. I mean, you are a hard person to get over," Gina joked, laughing so to lighten the mood.

It worked. Suze laughed along with her. "You're right. I don't seem to hate him since the whole hostage crisis. I saw a different side of him then," she mused, "I'm happy we parted on good terms, though." They both lapsed into silence. After a minute or two, Suze stood up, testing her leg for soreness.

"What do you feel like for dinner?" Suze wondered. The sun was beginning to set as she walked to the kitchen.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Gina suddenly said. "Jesse called while you were out. He wants to take you to dinner, and he said he would like you to wear that black dress with the silver belt."

Suze turned back around. "Did he say what time he was picking me up?" she asked.

"No, actually, he didn't. he was really vague about everything, except for the dress, that is," Gina responded. She turned back to the TV. "What _is _this?" she said, with exasperation. Suze could hear Gina begin flipping through the channels again as she walked to her bedroom.

An hour later, Suze was showered and dressed in the dress that Jesse had requested she wear. The dress was black with one strap and a ruffle going all the around the top. The whole thing fell to just about at her knees and had a silver belt cinched at the waist. She finished putting on her earrings and make-up, and had just picked up her hairbrush when there was a knock on the door. _Crap,_ she thought, _that couldn't be Jesse already._

"Gina, can you get that?" Suze called out to her best friend. She began brushing her hair, it falling in waves.

"I'm up to my elbows in pizza cheese here," Gina called back. Suze could hear her moving around in the kitchen.

"Gina, please, your frozen pizza can wait a minute while you open the door," Suze pleaded, "Please, that could be Jesse."

"Alright, alright, but if my pizza burns while I'm talking to your boyfriend," Gina threatened, but Suze heard the joking in her voice. Suze heard Gina shuffle over to the door in her Uggs and the sound of the door opening. She heard an intake of breath and a low 'wow'. "Suze! Get out here!"

"Gina, I'm still getting-" Suze stopped when she stepped out of her room and saw her friend holding a bouquet of red roses. "What is this?"

"Guess who's being all romantic," Gina teased, handing over the flowers. "There's a card in there somewhere."

Suze was smiling as she walked over and took the roses. She inhaled their sweet fragrance, and then saw the card sticking out of the top. She plucked it out and opened it.

_Querida,_

_Meet me at the place where we first met in twenty minutes. I'll be waiting._

_~~Jesse_

Smiling, Suze quickly placed the roses in a vase of water and then ran off to put on her short, black heeled boots. She sprayed a little perfume on and ran the brush one more time through her hair. She said goodbye to Gina, and left the apartment.

About twenty-five minutes later, Suze was pulling into the driveway at her mother and stepfather's house. She gasped at the sight that met her eyes as she pulled in. There were candles lit up all over the porch, and, upon further inspection, rose petals were strewn all over the yard. Suze saw someone leaning up against the porch railing, who straightened up when he saw her coming.

She pulled the car to a stop and turned it off. She sat there, admiring the scene. Jesse, looking like he just stepped out of a fairytale, was watching her. He wore a crisp white shirt, tucked into a pair of pressed black pants. He smiled when he saw her.

Suze got out of the car, and started up the walkway to Jesse, smoothing her dress down. Jesse's smile got bigger as his gaze slid over her, taking all of her in. "I was starting to get worried. I didn't think you were coming," Jesse admitted. Then, he added in a whisper, "You're so beautiful."

Suze grinned, looking down as she made the final steps toward him. "You look amazing," Suze breathed, looking up into his chocolate brown eyes. "What is all this?" She gestured all around them.

"I've been planning this for a while," Jesse explained, taking her hands in his. "And, after all that has happened, I'm even more sure." Jesse paused, taking a deep breath. He continued, "Susannah, from the first moment I saw you up in that room, there was something about you that made me want to know you. Your beauty, your passion, the way you don't back down from anything, all has played a role in the way I feel about you. I love you, _querida_."

Suze's eyes were filling up with tears listening to Jesse. She squeezed his hands and continued to listen to Jesse speak his heart. "When I learned that you were being held hostage in that hotel lobby by a group of armed men, I have never felt that scared. I thought I was losing you," Jesse's voice broke, and he had to pause to collect himself again. "I never want to feel that way again, but I know that just shows how much in love I am with you."

Suze let out a quiet gasp as she watched what Jesse did next. Jesse slid something out of his pocket, and then he dropped down to one knee.

"Susannah, _querida_, I love you now and I'll love you forever," Jesse proposed, his eyes glistening and showing all of his love. "I want you by my side. I want to wake up every morning with you next to me and know that you're mine."

Jesse took a deep breath and held up a beautiful diamond ring. "Susannah, will you marry me?"

Suze smiled, a stray tear slipping down her cheek. "I had no idea," she whispered, wiping at the tear, "I love you so much." She looked down at Jesse. He had just poured out his heart and soul, and was awaiting her answer. Suze took his hands, pulling him to his feet. "Yes," she whispered, then a little louder, "Yes, I will marry you."

Jesse's face lit up like the night sky. Suze stretched out her left hand, allowing Jesse to slip the ring on her finger. After that, he pulled her against him and kissed her. Their arms slid around each other as they kissed passionately. Jesse leaned his forehead against hers, and looked into her beautiful emerald eyes.

"I love you," Suze whispered.

"_Te amo, querida_," Jesse whispered back, "For better or for worse."

* * *

**A/N: **Well, that's it. This is the end. I have loved writing this story all the way through to end, and I hope you guys have loved reading it. Now, I know some of the characters were left with a few dilemmas. To see what happens to Jess and her friends and family, look out for the sequel, **Starting Over**. If you'd like to see Suze and Jesse's wedding, keep an eye out for that sequel, **A New Future**. At last, please review this story one last time.


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